Jim McKnight

I have been interested in drawing and painting from an early age,filling sketchbooks that became regular birthday presents from my parents starting in early grade school. I especially remember paging through two Robert Louis Stevenson novels illustrated by NC Wyeth and a Leonardo sketchbook that were on family bookshelves.My formal art education is limited to a single watercolor class taught by Gary Hagen at UWSP in 1976, that was taken on a whim but gave me the important information that there really wasn’t anything “wrong” that you could do painting.My first full sheet watercolor got Best in Show at the year-end student exhibition, and reinforced the idea that developing a unique vision and composition could be appealing to others.

In the next twenty-five years,I continued to study everything I could get my hands on about other artists’ methods, images and color theory,and with the frustratingly limited time available, worked on my own occasional painting sessions.I graduated from student colorsto professional grade and kept filling sketchbooks with ideas.Free time Since 2012 retirement has allowed me the time to pursue watercolor at a more focused and rewarding pace.In the last four years,I believe I have seen progress in my handling of the medium and seen great rewards in risking more complicated subject material.For the future, I believe there are exciting opportunities for improvement and innovation in my watercolor techniques with a wealth of subject matter rattling around in my head. Ilook forward to every chance to paint and exhibit.The Hidden Studios Tour offers a celebrated level of artistic talent and it is not only an honor to be part of, but an opportunity to keep challenging myself.

At present, my professional work consists of both landscapes and figures in transparent watercolor on paper. In paintings with figures, I have embraced narrative images that are inspired by my rural central Wisconsin surroundings and community, and look to the examples of Sergeant and the Wyeths for inspiration. My landscapes are also mostly locally inspired, with some images also informed by trips abroad that also evoke the same shared grace of human presence and natural beauty. “I look for the mystery in the commonplace.