James Vose — Paintings Photographed by Mitch Rossow
Atelier-trained Still Life Painter
Jim Vose practiced corporate law for many years before he decided to throw everything over and run off with art. In preparation, he spent six years as a part-time student at The Atelier (for many years, Atelier Lack) in Minneapolis — the school founded by American painter Richard Lack, one of the founders of the classical realism movement in the United States, which provides rigorous training in the traditional methods of realist oil painting. Since leaving The Atelier, Jim has painted nearly every day for more than a dozen years.
Jim concentrates on still life, in oil and in graphite. His subjects range from fruit and vegetables to children’s toys, mechanical and musical instruments, and flowers. He operates under one strict constraint: no object that could only have existed after the invention of plastic. That rule — and the literary wit of his titles — gives his work a personality that’s unmistakable. His paintings have been selected as finalists in multiple International Salons conducted by the Art Renewal Center, received Honorable Mention designations from the Oil Painters of America, and his painting The Weight of Words was awarded third place in still life in the Artists Magazine Annual Competition.
Jim has been bringing his still lifes to this studio for years — atelier-trained work on linen and panel where the photography has to be as deliberate as the painting. Schedule your own session →











