I was born and raised in southern Ohio, and then traveled west to Utah, where I finished my doctoral degree in biology and met and married Chris.  In 1976 we moved our family to Minnesota where I taught biology at St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict.  We built a home in rural Collegeville Township, from which we have successfully fledged three delightful daughters. Following retirement from teaching we have followed one of those daughters and her family west and are now making a home in Vacaville.

 

My art is based on observation and interpretation. I enjoy exploring the interaction between observation and the translation of the observed into the record which is my art. Good observation is key to understanding the world in which we live. As I have worked at improving my drawing, I realized that I was observing things that I had not noticed before.  The idea that working at becoming a better observer would improve my drawing did not surprise me, but it has been exciting to learn that my exercise of drawing has improved the quality of my observation in interesting ways as well.

 

Most of my work is in watercolor and colored pencil, although I have begun to explore pastels.  I enjoy working with landscape and still life, but I also enjoy exploring portraiture and figurative work.  One of the joys of art is that there is always something to discover about myself and the world—each painting becomes a new exploration.  I hope that as you observe my work, you enjoy the images that I have created, and that at least some of them strike responsive chords in your artistic soul.

 

I am always interested in talking about my works, and I am always in search of new subjects or new perspectives on old subjects.  If you have ideas about something you see, about something you would like to see, or if you would like to commission a portrait or other work, I would love to hear from you.

 

                                                                                                            Jim Poff