“I draw my inspiration from the Mountain West of the United States, most particularly the Southwest. The grand vistas, the one hundred mile visibility, the high altitude skies and spectacular cloud formations all create in me an intense desire to capture in paint the fleeting effects of light and shadow. I am stirred by the bare bones of the landscape left visible by the arid climate, the rocks and jagged crags, and even more so by the sight of distant and scarce rainfall, that sustains the thirsty and rugged countryside. I am challenged to capture in oil paint the subtle effects of the atmosphere on the vividly colored rocks and the myriad different blues, greens and purples of the hardy vegetation. I am captivated by the people who inhabit this hard land and their adaptations to living in this climate, hot and arid in summer, cold and fierce in winter. Some of my favorite subjects are the small mountain villages of northern New Mexico, many of which were founded 300 years ago. I am drawn by the organic character of the adobe buildings, and the color harmonies created by using the local earth to build these villages, allowing the structures to blend with their surroundings as no where else in my experience. Many of these hamlets are situated in spectacular, unspoiled scenery. The Southwest is an area in flux. Great changes are occuring. The traditional is being supplanted by the new. I feel both lucky and privileged to be able to record in paintings the last years that these places will appear genuinely different from the rest of American culture. I am motivated to try and capture in oil paint the miracle that is nature. I work both in plein air and in the studio, believing that the two disciplines compliment and enrich each other. When working in plein air the artist must work quickly and decisively. The movement of the sun affects the color of the light and location of shadows. The weather changes, clouds move through the scene, their shadows at once accentuating and hiding different parts of the chosen scene. The drawing must be right the first time, The decisions of composition, what to include or what to leave out must be made early in the session. Painting in plein air is a situation where it is best if the artist knows his materials and techniques intimately, allowing the artist to work intuitively, focusing his entire effort on the subject and the painting. By contrast, painting in the studio can be a measured process, where the passage of time is not so important, and a painter uses his intellect to carefully work out solutions to questions of composition, color, and value. Using plein air work and photographs for reference allows for careful study of the subject. There is opportunity to refine drawing and use multiple thumbnail sketches to experiment with the composition. There is ample time to complete large works. The wind doesn’t shake the canvas, and the rain doesn’t soak it. It isa more comfortable environment in which to work out problems and to experiment.”
James Trigg Fine Art 