People and Places

​Artist - James McDonald

Opening Reception    February 26th, 2022    4pm-6pm
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Show runs from -
February 26th, 2021 - April 2nd, 2022
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(Click above image for Press Kit)

(These six images represent a small percentage of the entire exhibit)

Statement

Two approaches, one slow, deliberate, the other spontaneous, instantaneous, raw.

Both paths teach, one path lined with smooth brush strokes that suggests forms and gestures, the other journeys with crowded paint jabs of uneven weight and slashes of colors, outlining the contours of nature. 

People and places, rewarding explorations of significantly differing approaches to how to see and the resulting rewards of that vision.

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Biography

James McDonald  graduated from MICA in 1979, earning a BFA in Graphic Design with Honors. Computer generated art kept food on the table, but it was no substitute for the real time feel of paint on canvas, the smell, the texture, the gradual realization of a landscape coming together or from seeing the human revealed in a portrait. 
His earlier painting series relied heavily on photos he took specifically for their painting potential. These paintings found welcomed venues in restaurants throughout Baltimore. His Brazilian seascapes were shown at Simon’s in Butcher Hill, paintings of Curtis Bay warehouses shown and sold at the Chameleon in Hamilton, a summer long exhibit at the Bistro Rx in Highlandtown, to name a few. 
His work was accepted at five different juried shows at the Maryland Federation of Art in Annapolis.  A solo exhibition at the Antreasian Gallery in Hampden was a highlight in his painting career. James was an active member of the Hamilton Gallery for several years.
A representative painter, James McDonald works with both oil and watercolors. Recently, Mr. McDonald has taken on plein aire painting, which provides an extreme contrast to the deliberate pace of studio painting. A brief membership with MID-ATLANTIC PLEIN AIR PAINTERS ASSOCIATION prior to COVID and its Mt. Royal competition gave Mr. McDonald a good avenue to explore this approach to painting. Since then Mr. McDonald has competed in several Quick Draw events, where the time limit to complete a painting is two hours. 
Mr.McDonald considers himself a complete painter, working in multiple mediums, covering an unlimited scope of subject matter, in a variety of time formats.

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jsm239/​
Facebook - ​https://www.facebook.com/james.mcdonald.378537