James
Lumley
American
Painter
- Biography -
James Lumley, who
resides in Amherst, Massachusetts, is an experienced artist of
professional accomplishment. Being a lover of nature, he creates
each painting on-site at a special time of day when the quality
of light best captures its essence.
His ability to interpret the magnificent
grandeur of the natural scene in a unique quality of atmosphere
and light makes him one of the most accomplished artists today.
Jim's paintings reflect not only his
exceptional skill, but also a love of the American landscape
and dedication to its conservation and remembrance.
In addition to drawing and design courses
at the University of Massachusetts, Jim studied painting with
Ellen Johnson, June Stevenson, Christen Couture, Rey Milici,
David Farrell, Stephen Perkins, and Joanette and Cedric Egeli.
His primary teacher for ten years was Henry Hensche at the Cape
School of Art. He is represented by galleries and art consultants
all along the east coast. His work is in many private and corporate
collections. He is currently writing a book on painting technique.
Artist's Statement
My work is rooted in that of the Impressionists,
in particular the studies of light and color made by Claude Monet.
He showed us the beauty of an early morning dawn, the warmth
of an evening sunset, the somber relationship of fields and woods
on a stormy day. He shocked us into seeing the variety of color
in nature. We no longer enjoy a landscape rendered in a narrow
range of color; we know colors are changed by the light striking
the scene.
I make all my paintings from direct
observations from nature. Like Monet, I feel the sensation of
live can only be gained by standing in front of nature. Only
under a condition of existing light and atmosphere can I observe
the beauty of a scene. I do not copy a scene - photography does
a better job (although only within a limited color and value
range) - and I am not interpreting it through some psychological
concept.
To capture the beauty of the natural
world I use color to show the major planes of light striking
a landscape at specific times of day under the same atmospheric
conditions. I also use different colors, instead of shades of
the same color, to show how the light changes shapes within the
landscape. Showing how horizontal planes recede into the distance
by these subtle changes of color give my paintings a unique three-dimensional
effect. I usually work no more than two hours on a painting before
returning to it another day at the same time of day and if the
same atmospheric conditions prevail.
When others compare my vigorous coloration
with Impressionism, I demur. They misconstrue my artistic purpose.
The Impressionists profess to imitate nature, painting it as
it is. The result is often flat, arbitrary color that disregards
the more profound truth.
As viewers, the more we become aware
of how different lights affect the color of what we see, the
deeper our feeling for a work. Even though understanding a painting
is in part intellectual, caring about one is emotional, a participation
engaging the mind as well as the heart.
I attempt to have my work stand up
to the best work of the ages. I strive not only to be as good,
but to add something to our insight of the world around us.
413-253-5082
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James Lumley. All rights reserved.
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