Welsh born, London sown, California grown...
Sitting down on a grassy slope one long-ago summer's day, I made this pen and ink drawing of Caerphilly Castle. On that hill in the background is a narrow street of stone cottages called Bryn Gwyn, and in number 15, I was born. My bedroom window faced out across the verdant Rhymey Valley to this ancient Norman castle. On then, up and over the last mountain in south Wales to the capital city Cardiff, where boats sailed out into the world taking my childhood dreams of travel and adventure with them. My mother said, "you will sail far Jamie boy." I believed her then and I know this now: When a journey goes well, all is good ~ when things go wrong, dig deep and the real adventure begins. Amser i mynd ~ time to go, from that cosy cradle called Cymru.
Starting off first with Bristol for college and love, then Venice Beach, California for fun, sun and rock climbing, London next for the challenge of top-flight design agency work, family weekends back in Wales, mates and brilliant pubs on the River Thames. Thence and back again across The Pond for Sacramento, to start and build an award-winning, community-supporting, client-growing, brand identity design team of cherry-picked talent, type of agency.
All the while, sketching, shooting, directing, painting, and pride of all, raising three spectacular children. Those chapters written, the road called again. It said, "time to explore once more ~ come paint me, bring your camera, find further afield, follow calling winds, listen to the fairy whispers..." and other such sagacious folly. So I weighed anchor again and set out.
After a couple of years dipping traveling toes into the Pacific Ocean, hiking High Sierra lakes and a travel-restricted year marooned in the Caribbean like some contemporary Crusoe, the "art movement of one man and his dog" is presently painting and exploring Southern California and the amazingly beautiful Mojave Desert. "America Bold & Beautiful" beckons, Utah most loud next ~ landscapes first seen in so many John Ford cowboy movies as that boy in Wales. "Aye mam, look where I am now ~ just like we saw on the Telly! And I will paint you a special picture..."
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MISSION: We have one world and one life ~ protect and promote love for our planet over profit, live life like it is our first and last, because it is. Paint nature, follow light, live color, see moments, share thoughts, feel ideas, provide value to people who get it, and have a cold one waiting in the fridge.
Catch you again on the trail, friend...
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James