AboUT JIM AIKEN

I am captivated by light creating, altering, and exaggerating color when it filters through the atmosphere, autumn leaves, trees, touches a person’s face, causes a dramatic sunrise or sunset, or just reflects off old town windows.  Many places I’ve lived display unique and seasonally changing light effects that amplify reflections, shadows, and shapes.  Compelling painting subjects for me are often ones that capture a sense of motion, sound, or even touch, such as a breeze.  Usually my images are of nature outdoors, both real landscapes and imagines ones.  But, even in portraits I like to capture a transient smile in progress, suggesting a unique moment in time.  My recent landscapes and seascapes accentuate vivid clouds, but I always strive to capture a feeling of a special moment when the light effects amaze the eye and mind. Often, just one unexpected visual image, like abandon cotton still dotting the fields with white, triggers in my mind an idea, then I synthesize a painting around that one part to convey a larger message.  I have been experimenting with abstract images that convey motion, color harmony, and earth elements, which for me, is an extension of my love of light in nature.