James McDowell lives and paints from his studio/gallery on his family farm, high on a hill in the beautiful Creston Valley. James has painted actively all his life, beginning as a teenager painting rat finks on the walls of his father’s pool hall.

A self-taught artist working mainly in acrylic on hardboard, James draws inspiration from all that surrounds him. His works encompass a wide variety of styles from realism to non-representational and they glow with the touch of a true colourist.

James is an accomplished artist whose bold acrylic work has appeared in shows and venues in Canada and the Western United States. His art appears in the annual Creston & Kootenay Lake Eastshore Art Walk/Art Drive, which follows Hwys 3 and 3A from Yahk, BC to Creston and on to Kootenay Bay, BC. His art also appeared in the Nelson Art Walk in Nelson BC, the Sandpoint Art Walk in Sandpoint ID, and the Pacific Northwest Gallery Show in Tacoma, WA.

Some of James’s art will be on display at Park Studio Gallery in the month of January, you can see more of James art at Annettes Delicatessen in Creston BC or take a drive 7 km south of Creston off Hwy 21, turn left at the Artisan sign at 40th St. and follow 40th through the curves until it turns into 37th to McDowell’s Hilltop Gallery.

James’s tip for other artists is to not limit yourself to painting techniques explore and enjoy making your art.

Written by Yvonne Sulko

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