Home » Galleries » Jim Warren
About Jim Warren
"LOCAL PAINTER FINDS HIS NICHE BETWEEN DALI AND ROCKWELL"
Read the headline of a recent newspaper article about Jim Warren. Self-taught, Jim's unique style defies attempts to categorize. That headline most accurately describes Jim Warren's unique look which is in fact something of a cross between Salvador Dali's surrealism and Norman Rockwell's Americana illustration style.
Jim Warren is a lfelong resident of Long Beach, CA, where he resides with his wife, Cindy, and their baby daughter, Drew.
His work first caught the attention of the press and public when he won 1st place at the prestigious Westwood, CA Art Show in 1975. He won two additional first place ribbons at two subsequent Westwood Art Shows. A gew years later, a painting he produced for the cover of Bob Seger's album "Against the Wind", won a Grammy Award in 1980 for "best album package (cover)". Jim has continued to earn many awards and acknowledgements for the quality of his work over a painting career spanning almost 2 decades. His most recent award was the "Judge's Choice" ribbon at the Lunacon Art Show in NYC, in March of '92.
Jim's art has appeared on hundreds of book covers, album covers and movie posters over the years. He has done work for all the major book publishing houses, record companies and film studios. In a L. A. Times article on Jim Warren, Paul Grushin (who wrote a book on the history of record album covers) called Jim Warren "one of the best".
Several years ago, Jim decided to use his art to help promote environmental themes and issues. His work in this area has been extremely popular. One image, "Earth, Love it or Lose it" has appeared on billboards around the country as well as on t-shirts, posters, magazine covers, postcards, buttons, etc. In a recent project, Jim collarborated with America's Leading Environmental Marine Life Artist, Wyland, to produce two paintings, "Mermaid Dreams" and "Dolphin Rides". These images depict man and nature harmoniously co-existing for the benefit of both man and nature.
Jim Warren's paintings possess that unique quality that all great artists have in common; the ability to present the ordinary in an extraordinary way. His work reaches out and touches the heart and soul of the viewer. It has emotional impact; it makes you stop and think; it can lift your spirit; it can make you smile or it can inspire you to be concerned. Reaction to his work is as varied as there are viewers of his art, but there is an unmistakable quality involved in his work that demands that you stop and consider the messages that this artist so skillfully depicts in his paintings.
About his own art Jim says, "I prefer to let my paintings speak for themselves. I enjoy watching people react to my work. Each person sees something different in my paintings that relates specifically to them. That, to me, is what art is all about.