Among the generation of American
artists now is their early forties, Iowa born painter and printmaker
Jim Buckels is a delightful anomaly: An artist more driven by
his inner visions than by fashions and trends. Yet, his work possesses
an innate sophistication that places it prominently within the
post-modern mainstream.
Buckels artistic talent
won him a scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa. Interrupted
by a three-year stint in the U.S. Army, including a tour of Vietnam,
he returned to civilian life in 1971, resumed his studies at UNI
and earned a bachelors degree in art.
His artwork combines a bold
use of color and line. Using an airbrush and acrylic paints in
techniques which may have been considered critically unacceptable
even a decade ago, Buckels masterfully executes compositions with
flat, rich colors and very fine detail. The airbrush creates
a mood that cannot be achieved using other techniques, Buckels
says, soft vignettes or smooth transitions from light to
dark values are especially successful when he uses this
technique. Perhaps the most important result of his use of the
airbrush is that it has given Buckels a unique and recognizable
style.
The artist also uses many traditional
techniques, such as sable brush, in combination with the airbrush.
His landscapes compel the viewer
to move through shadows or secret passageways in distant lands
and across purple-hued skies, or behind the verdant hills or a
desolate New England farm. All embody the excitement of travel
and adventure¾the very essence of this contemporary artist.