The Artistic Journey of James Bama
Born in New York City, United States, James Bama began his creative path by copying Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon comic strip. After graduating from the High School of Music and Art, he served in the Army Air Forces, where he worked as a mechanic, mural painter, and physical training instructor. Following his discharge, he studied drawing and anatomy at the Art Students League in New York City. His professional career included a fifteen-year tenure as an illustrator at Charles E. Cooper Studios, and he later became a successful commercial artist. His diverse body of work included:
Western Realism and Later Life
In 1966, Bama and his wife, Lynne Klepfer, moved to a ranch near Cody, Wyoming. While initially working as a freelance illustrator in the evenings, he began painting contemporary Western subjects during the day. By 1971, he decided to abandon illustration to focus entirely on easel paintings. His realistic style often utilized specific lighting techniques, such as butterfly lighting, and he utilized thousands of photographs as studies for his work. His art is held in collections such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., which contains his work Roy Benzona--Old Man Wyoming from 1970. He was inducted into the Illustrator’s Hall of Fame in 2000 and received the Spectrum Grand Master Award in 1998.
Questions & Answers
Can I browse James Bama's works by movement?
The All Movements page groups James Bama's artworks by art movement.
How did James Bama's art evolve over time?
James Bama's career unfolds period by period on the artist's Chronicle page: a horizontal timeline of the artworks, grouped into career-period chapters.
How can I follow James Bama's work year by year?
A timeline of James Bama's works exists: the artist's Artwork Timeline page orders the artworks by creation date.
Where can I see James Bama's artworks arranged by atmosphere?
The Mood Room of James Bama is a page that arranges the artist's artworks by mood.
