James Carlson Gartin

Retired from an engineering career with General Electric, Jim now devotes full time to a second career in sculpture. Years of photographing animals in Alaska, the Adirondacks and the West provids inspiration for his works. Stories of his pioneer ancestors' migration to the West from Virginia, his grandfather's catching wild horses in Oregon and his father's experiences in the Idaho mountains also provide basis for his creations.

Drawing from these images and experience in the wild, Jim tries to portray the realism of animals in their struggle for survival. His knowledge of animal habits and anatomy give credibility to his compositions.

Although Jim holds a masters degree in engineering his only art training was as a child in the studio of his mother who was an art teacher, lecturer and judge. He takes pride in personally producing his art from sculpting the original clay, mold making, casting, finishing and painting/patinating. Each work is produced as a limited edition in both cast resin and bronze. The resins may be regarded as three dimentional paintings in themselves or as studies to visualize the work in bronze. Ultimately all of Jim's sculpture will be available in bronze.