Our next SWA meeting is November 21 at 7pm with Jim Stewart as our demo artist.
The Society of Watercolor Artists meets every third Monday from September through May. (6:30 critique by Jo Williams; meeting at 7pm) Location: University of North Texas Health Science Center, Bldg. 2 – Everett Hall, Fort Worth, TX 76107. Directions. website: http://www.swawatercolor.com/
About Jim Stewart:
James (Jim) Stewart, is a retired architectural designer in the commercial real estate development business, who has had a passion for painting since the late 1950’s. After high school he served six months active duty in the US Army, then enrolled at McMurray College in the spring of 1962. As an art major he became a muralist, ‘plein air’ and studio painter working in all mediums. In addition he served as the college Gallery Master, student assistant to the Department Head, was a volunteer assistant with the Abilene art museum, and was a commercial advertising artist for the local Channel 11 television studio. He was twice awarded in collegiate division art shows. His mural “Texas Under Six Flags” still remains in the J. Rollins Library at McMurray.
Jim’s professional career was centered in Dallas where he served as VP of Architecture for the Vantage Companies ’67 –
’77, Projects Design and Development Manager for the Collins – Ridnour Company ’78 -’83, VP of Project Design and Development for Centre Development ’83 -’92 and Partner-VP of Development for Champion Partners ’93-’03. Throughout his professional career he kept his interest in painting by producing commission works and golf related illustrations, however this took a backseat to competitive golf, tennis, racquetball, and motocross racing. In retrospect he muses, “I should have spent more time painting, as I never received an injury from a paint brush”.
After retiring in mid-2003, he and his wife and some close friends, moved to Lake Chapala, Mexico, which lies just south of Guadalajara, where they lived until returning to Texas in December of 2008. In addition to being an avid golfer, Jim reignited his passion for painting in 2010 and received Best of Show in his first juried event. To date, he has been awarded and accepted into thirty five juried invitational, open, and national exhibitions. He is currently a Signature Member of the International Society of Acrylic Painters, a Signature Member of the Society of Watercolor Artists, and is a member the Lake Granbury Art Association, and the Pecan Plantation Art Guild. He has won six Best of Show Awards, three Peoples’ Choice Awards and numerous Jurors’ and Meritorious Awards.
Stewart has studied with such Texas notable artists as Robert Miller, Bud Biggs, Jim Jones, Carol Collier, Naomi Brotherton, and Scott Myers. He is an awarded traditional painter who is rigid in conforming to the ‘fundamental principles of art’, and believes the success of a painting is found in its composition, accuracy, dramatic impact, and most importantly public appreciation. Of his Peoples’ Choice Awards, he states “these are my most artistically fulfilling accomplishments”. In the future he hopes to study with other traditional painters and believes that “the learning curve is proportional to the effort one makes to excel”.
