our art: JAMES LEE
Straight From the Head
of a Starving Artist
By MEL W RHODES
A
64
self-described “starving artist,”
James Lee, 50, has always
dreamed of making a living from his
art.
“I’ve been an artist my entire life,”
he said. “It showed in me even as
a kid.” In art class, his stick figures
were more anatomically correct than
other kids’ — showing musculature,
etc.
“Because of the jobs I’ve had over
the years, I’ve had to put that dream
on the back burner. Sure, over the
years I was able to do a few things
here and there that I could put into a
portfolio; but I was never able to start
a career.”
Currently, Lee works a couple
of jobs and is finding more time to
devote to art. He works with a Dallas
builder on historic homes and helps
his brother auction the contents of
storage units.
“I got into a situation where I just
took some time off a little over a year
ago and just involved myself in my
art,” Lee said. “I did 28, maybe 30
pieces. And in that time I wanted to
change some, so I thought maybe I’d
try some painting.”
Picking up the brush and acrylic
paints has refocused the artist who
had labored for years in the pen and
ink genre. He is painting abstract
works.
Most of Lee’s body of work fits
easily into the fantasy genre — a
world of moonlit peaks and finely
drawn towers rising from a walled
city at water’s edge. A cultural icon
in a diaphanous dress erased into
being through Lee’s technique.
Fantasy, says Lee, is a very liberat-
ing genre and allows the artist to try
whatever he or she can think.
“Most of my work comes straight
from my head,” he said. “I use very
little reference, unless it’s like in a
portrait of Marilyn Monroe or Jimi
Hendrix.”
Lee said he’s glad at 50 to still
have this level of creativity.
Lee has his work on Facebook
and the Fine Art America site, but he
knows getting his work out there will
take more than that.
“For me, what I need to do, is
get some prints together and set up a