James McKew

James McKew has spent most of his life in Western Nevada. Being raised by his grandparents 20 miles from the nearest town gave him ample time to explore and appreciate the wide open spaces of the West. He has been a musician since 1974, first playing trumpet in schools bands and later leading performing bands and church worship groups. It was this passion for music and the prodding of friends that encouraged him to explore other artistic venues of self expression. In the mid 1980’s after marrying Kim Osborne, he worked as a part time photographer for the local newspaper. During the next ten years he would hone his skills in composition and light control, winning awards at county fairs, photo contests for Nevada Magazine, and being published in Bird Watchers Digest. While working as a field surveyor for an engineering firm in Carson City, James began to pencil sketch in the evenings. His survey partner was a watercolor painter who urged him to make an attempt at painting. After two years his paintings were accepted to the 2001 Western Art Roundup in Winnemucca Nevada; a gathering of top western artists who come together each year to celebrate the “Buckaroo” spirit of western cowboy life. James was awarded an Honorable Mention for his watercolor “Saddle Bronc”. During this show he was inspired by the paintings of Kelly Donovan and began to paint in oils in the fall of 2002. Since then he has been showing his paintings at local art shows in western Nevada. Always a crowd pleaser, many people come back time and again to see his new paintings and unique show displays. James McKew has been represented by Oakcreek Printworks since February 2004. In September of 2004 he joined the elite Top 100 painters in the National Parks – Arts for the Parks competition. He was additionally awarded the Grand Teton Lodge Company Award of Merit for his painting “Our Future”. This painting will be displayed through out the United States in 2005. His paintings can be found in private and corporate collections in Nevada, California and Wyoming.