William Saint James

My work is an evolving expression of my life...

Born & raised in Los Angeles, CA, I have been fortunate to have had art, music & culture from around the globe soaked into my spirit since youth. Creativity & exploration, in art specifically, have always been a necessary aspect of my life.

With a rich background in art history, I have been exposed to many forms of art that have enabled me to grow and will continue to help my style & technique bloom. As a classically trained artist, my early work revolved around life drawing & illustration, but once I acquired a passion for painting, I worked tirelessly searching for a style that grabbed my soul. I worked with many mediums & styles, dabbling in realism, pop and geometric abstraction, but these were only temporarily fulfilling.

My more recent concentration in Abstract Expressionism has consumed me, at times bringing me to the brink, before reaching the moment of clarity. As I have moved into non-figurative work the importance of layering and color became a major focus, working around the idea of a composition with no focal point and a balance of what I call "color weight". My use of unconventional medium such as enamel, stain, ink, graphite, & various chemicals have helped to intensify the “build-up/breakdown” process that ultimately culminates in a finished piece. I never begin a piece with any specific idea or formal plan, but through paint, music & emotion I swim through layers of possibilities, until the vision unmistakably presents itself. Subtle nuiance in a galaxy of color is what I hope each work will convey to the viewing eye.

To see my work is to be given a rare and intimate opportunity to peer deep within my psyche, through dark passages & columns of brilliant light. The journey is something that only I can experience, but each work of art I create is a visual representation of what I have found along the path...

Wm. Saint James