The Artist

Jim is an artist who loves anything to do with automotive design, illustration, fine art, models, memorabilia, preservation and just hanging out with people with a shared interest. As a kid in high school he dreamed, illustrated and modeled cars so much so that he aspired to be a stylist and practiced designing his own creations getting inspiration from the Big Three auto manufacturers during the 1950s and early 1960s. Lacking the funds to go out of state to design college, the idea was shelved, but not forgotten. After spending a small amount of time majoring in architecture and four years in the Air Force, the new college objective was to be a fine art major, which resulted in a BFA Degree from Baylor University, Waco Texas. Jim worked as an art director for several advertising agencies for eight years in Waco, Texas and as a self-employed illustrator for seventeen years in the Houston, Texas area. While self-employed, the idea, "to show how the automobile has influenced the American way of life," began to develop, and eventually lead to many of the watercolor projects shown on this site. Many of the projects are centered on the early Thunderbird, Jim drives a 1956, as a result of an undying love for the little Fords from an early age prior to college on to present day.

Currently Jim and his wife of 36 years, Joyce, live in Smyrna, Tennessee where both are employed by very large companies. But he still finds time to get a little art accomplished, be a member of the Tennessee Water Color Society and other art groups, several antique automobile clubs and restore his Thunderbird as an ongoing project since 1987 while he and Joyce have a son in college.