About J K Brown the artist

After setting aside his oil paints in his late twenties, then rekindling his passion to paint again several years later.   Now known as the” Rugged Coast Artist,” James is leaving his mark on the art world again.  His “old fashion”, use of oil paint showing how water can reflect the landscape and sky is an expression of his exotic vision of the elusive element of paint.  His ability to capture the excitement of water’s movement, coupled with the sheer magnificence of the other landscape paintings, provides a riveting picture of nature’s wonder. The clear enjoyment of his art is evident in his work and makes it easy to appreciate and to understand why James has won several awards for his unique style.  As James puts it, “Now that I see my work has been joyed by so many, I will turn my passion loose on everything I do.”

Artist Statement

I grew up near the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, where I spent every possible moment at the beach, watching and listening to the sounds of the waves crashing over and over, and the foam pushed onto the shore. The best of all, was splashing in the surf with my friends. Those memories are indelibly etched in my memory, and over the years, I have called on those experiences to bring out my relationship with water and the wonderful coastlines of the pacific northwest.  

I started painting early in life, working at my Aunt Dorthey’s art studio, painting ceramic pieces for sale. I found the artist in me in the mid-sixties after moving to Washington State. There is so much beauty here I felt like capturing it on canvas. The greens, blues and browns amazing, not to forget, the reds. whites and yellows in the flowers.

I grew even more enamored with the Pacific Northwest coastline and decided to explore the artist in me once more.  The beautiful coastline with its pounding surf and majestic rock formations is more than inspirational – it is a spiritual experience.  I try to capture this in my artistry.

It is exciting for me to visit these wonderful places, and even more satisfying to bring it to life with oil paint on canvas.  Inspired by these images, I translate them into bold, intimate experiences for the viewer.

“For an artist to be successful, they must first invite the viewer into the painting. And last, make it interesting.”

Thank you for visiting. J K Brown