After earning his BA in Illustration at Detroit’s Center for Creative Studies, James Owens began a misspent youth in the advertising business. He has worked with clients such as Ford, General Motors, Home and Gardens Television, AAA, Dupont, Mastercraft and Dreamworks. His oil paintings are in collections and have shown all over the world including Los Angeles, New York, Hawaii, Europe, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Originally hailing from Detroit, cars are in his blood. For many years he has enjoyed translating that love into fine art oil paintings of classic automobiles and custom cars.
His latest works are Tropical-Tiki themed images inspired by the pre-war pulp culture and post-war pop culture. His approach to design and use of color is directly inspired by painters and illustrators of the golden age. Artists such as Haddon Sundblom, N.C. Wyeth and John Singer Sargent. Through his use of color and design he creates images that are imbued with the warmth of a bygone era.
James now works out of his studio in his home in sunny Mesa, Arizona where the sun always shines, birds always sing and children are happy. He is a member in good standing of Loyal Order of Water Buffalo as well as the Official G.I. Joe Club and the G.I. Joe Adventure Team!