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Pools of Pigment
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: June 2024
Our Cover Artist James P. Kerr pursues his art with passion and unbridled creativity.
Fine artist James P. Kerr likes to push things around – and he does it beautifully.
His brush and knife do the pushing, and his passion for moving oils about a canvas does the rest. With 50 creative years of brushing and texturing paint alla prima (wet-on-wet), it’s no wonder his works of seaside and mountain landscapes, figures, musicians, still life, and abstracts have adorned galleries, offices, and halls from South Florida to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Many of his paintings have delighted citizens around the world through the U.S. State Department Art in Embassies Program (Africa, Middle East, etc.). African and Middle Eastern embassies frequently ask for his work. Those regions have a love for musical images, particularly jazz instruments and their performers.
James says, “I’ve been sketching musicians since childhood. I don’t perform music, but I own instruments as an inspiration for painting compositions.”
Art and Music share a vocabulary: rhythm, motion, tone, harmony. But it’s the movement that directs the painting’s essence. James’ hands dance with his tools loaded with buttery, creamy oils as he swirls golds and greens across his canvas. It creates the feel of motion. James uses warm colors in an under-layer and cool colors on top or vice versa. It’s the warm in contrast with the cool that creates motion … and emotion.
Rooted in art early-on, James was painting with adults at 10 years of age.
He says, “By 12, color became a fascination. Philosophically and aesthetically, I began to see the light as I fell in love with pools of pigment.”
Over the years James experimented with several mediums. Nowadays he paints around 90 percent oil/alla prima and 10 percent other methods.
James has lived and painted, studio and plein air, up and down the Atlantic Seaboard. He was born in Buffalo, New York and later resided in scenic New England and Banner Elk, N.C. These days, living in Delray Beach, Florida (the last 2 decades), he spends a lot of time painting in his Boca Raton studio or shooting photos and sketching.
Take a tour of James’ painting world on his website, jamespkerr.com. For comments and questions, text (561) 212-8610. And to see his latest works on Instagram; locally, see his display in Art Highlands Gallery, in person or at arthighlands.com.
