Artist~Illustrator          

    When asked to write my autobiography for an art reception, I thought about telling everybody about all the jobs I’ve had, the boards I’ve been on, the sports I played, and how wonderful and intelligent my children and grandchildren are, but since I have lived in Pomeroy, WA my whole life, everyone already knows all that.  So, I will skip all that and give you the unknown, inside scoop on my path to becoming an artist/ilustrator.

    It all started in Second Grade when I got my first Artist Commission.  My buddy, Dirty Johnny, wanted me to draw a picture of the posterior of one of our classmates.  So, I did, it was beautiful, we got caught, grounded, and could not play together for months.  That incident seriously stalled my artistic career until High School where they had an ingenious idea called ‘Study Hall’. There I learned to draw cartoons and caricatures of my teachers and classmates.  When I became a teenager, everything was pretty much of a testosterone blur, until I got married.  In 1980, Susy bought me a 35 mm Kodak Camera for our anniversary, and I went about the county snapping photos, hoping to become a photographer.  I found I did not have the patience or knowledge and had no control over the lighting or weather.  After watching Bill Alexander and Bob Ross on PBS for years, I figured it can’t be that hard to paint a picture of one of my photos.  So, I bought the Bob Ross Oil Painting Starter Kit and found out I was wrong.  After several attempts and a big mess that is still visible, I threw the paints and brushes into a box, and forgot about it.

    As a child, I spent a lot of time with my Grandmother, Lois Dixon Brown, while my parents were out of town.  She was immensely proud and spoke often of her mother, Jennie Dixon, who painted several pictures, and which are now scattered throughout the family.    When she died in 1983, I went home and frantically built a 200-pound easel out of scrap 2x6’s and ¾” plywood, dug out my box of paints, and began painting one reject after another.  Wildlife and landscapes were my first frustration, and I gave many of my first paintings to friends and family.  Then I pulled out my old photos from the early 80’s and began to find my niche. I had a wonderful and memorable experience growing up in Pomeroy and attempt to convey those memories that so many of us share.  Ever since entering my first Garfield County Fair, the encouragement from family, friends and others in the community has been a driving force for me.  I feel truly fortunate to have a hobby which combines with my desire to preserve our local history, to share memories, and to live in a community who appreciates it. 

     Since I wrote this light-hearted art bio for being the featured artist at the local Blue Mountain Artisan Guild three years ago, most of you know, that my life has changed significantly.  There are times in our lives when hobbies, or things that were important, suddenly seem unimportant.  I was a lost soul after Sue died, and my desire to paint died too.  Then Cathy Reinland came into my life, and to make a long story very short, we spent the last year turning ‘my nest’, into ‘our home’.  We made a lifetime decision because life does not get better than this.  Cathy is unselfish, compassionate, proactive, patient, techy and tenacious, in everything she does.   We would like to give back to the community that raised us, so when I mentioned turning my hobby into a business, she willingly volunteered to become my promotor, or ‘Art Agent’.  Since I am the sole proprietor, she will be seriously over worked and under paid.  So, hang on, off we go!    Wish us luck while we wish you all good health and a big ‘thank you’ for your support.

James Dewey Brown                              

Artist/Illustrator                                                                           

JD Brown Studios