Barbara James
As far back as I can remember I was interested in art. As a native New Yorker I was fortunate to have access to good art instruction at an early age; by taking art classes at the Art Students League and the Traphagan School of Fashion Design. I was accepted at the High School of Industrial Art in New York City (now HS of Art and Design) where we were exposed to all mediums of art. In high school I became interested in architectural design and majored in architecture at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Fine Arts.
After college I worked an architectural draftsman in New York City and in Philadelphia as a graphic artist designing pictures on checks. At that time only commercial business printed pictures their logos on checks.
After my family settled in Alameda I spent 15 years raising a family and selling real estate. After the children left home, I relocated to Orange County CA. and renewed my interest in art by taking photography courses at both Orange Coast College and Coastline Community College. I was a founding member of the Photographic Society of Orange County.
In 1994, I returned to Alameda and immediately joined Alameda Photographic Society, where I am an active member. I am self-taught in Photoshop. After struggling for a few years with this medium, I felt comfortable enough to manipulate images.
Lately, I have branched out and renewed my early interest in the other forms of art and have been studying Chinese Brush Painting. I am an active member of the Colored Pencil Society of America and Frank Bette Center for the Arts where I have exhibited for a few years.
San Francisco Skyline, 2005
Photography
Size: 12" x 18"