James C Andrews [NRA 2020]

First name: James ;
Middle name: C ;
Last name: Andrews ;

Member: Non-resident artist member ; 
Begin: December 16, 2020 ;
End: n/a ;

Biography:

James Andrews is an artist and teacher who has been living in the Pacific Northwest since 1999. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1973, Andrews’ family moved out to Long Island’s beautiful East End when he was a toddler. Andrews has always had a love of art and the stories it can tell. This love led him to pursue and earn a BFA in Theatrical Design from SUNY New Paltz and, later, an MS Ed in Art Education from Dowling College. Since dedicating himself to his own art practice in the last few years, Andrews has had several showings of his illustrative paintings and sculptures.

Artist’s Statement

I feel that science, religion and philosophy are all searching for answers to the same questions– and that we tend to separate ourselves, unnecessarily, by our choice of personal paths to what we hope are the answers. The scientist sees only scientific answers; the devout see only answers that fit with their religious texts; the philosopher adheres to his own reality construct. I believe that art is the best and easiest way to bring these paths together and connect us all again. My artworks are attempts to foster those connections. Being connected to each other is our only chance of ever finding the answers to our burning questions—and, in fact, it may be the answer all by itself.

I use a symbology that I hope is universal enough to unite viewers from the various schools of thought one that is accessible to all. I want viewers to be able to relate to the works on a very personal level and to also be able to use them as a bridge to understanding the views of others.

I work in a variety of media, including graphite, color pencil, acrylic paint, clay and digital painting programs. I find that each work presents certain challenges that are best met by using one medium or another though, in the past, it has not been uncommon for me to combine media for any given piece. In my career I have been most inspired by the art of Bernini, Church, Mucha, Wyeth, Alma-Tadema and Magritte as well as more contemporary artists and illustrators like Alex Grey, Chuck Close, and John Jude Palencar. I am just as likely to find inspiration for my works in religious scripture as I am in the pages of the latest issue of a science magazine and I believe that the best ideas, the ones that really display the questions inside of me, come from both.

Artworks: