Cobb >> When two pillars of flames from the Valley Fire towered over a ridge near James French’s art studio, he prayed. When five small blazes sparked, he prayed for each of them. French didn’t do much besides pray during the late hours of September 12 and the days following. And he’s thankful he did. “I saw some great miracles here,” French said. “This whole place should have gone up.”
With nearly 70 works of art hanging on the walls of James French Studios, you could definitely say that the local art scene was fortunate, in this case.
French is currently running a show titled “Works of Art 18-21 Century,” which includes a vast array of work. There are paintings, etchings and pastels by French himself, and then there are works he’s acquired over the years or commissioned from contacts. The show includes an after print from Manet, a two color original print by Jose Posada, a Bible leaf from 1563 and much more.
French has been an art dealer for years and he specializes in the conservation and restoration of artwork. Before making the move to Cobb and opening James French Studios, he ran an art studio in San Mateo. He was able to get his hands on such a broad array of work thanks to this long background in the art scene. “Being an art dealer, that’s part of the job is to acquire things for resale,” he explained. “I have good connections in the art world. I have friends that I’ve dealt with for years.”
Though it took him a year and a half and a lot of hard work to get his Cobb space up and running, he’s happy to be giving more art to the Lake County community, especially in the wake of the historic fires. “People here are kind of still traumatized,” French said. “I think what I’m doing is good for the art community and good for the community in general. Art conservation and the conservation of our culture is important.”
Even before the Valley Fire, artists were concerned about the state of things. Now, art has been pushed even further down on many people’s list of priorities, as they recover from the fire. “Of course this has affected the economy and the tourism,” French added. “I’m here for the long term … I’m in the art business and I’ll do whatever it takes.”
French’s determined attitude has served him well. In years past, he’s had to hurdle over a number of roadblocks keeping him out of business. There was a frightening time of uncertainty when he was declared legally blind after a cataract in his eye. “When you’re in the art business, going legally blind is about the worse thing you can face,” French said.
Fortunately, he regained his eyesight after going though surgery, allowing him to finally return to his artwork and eventually open James French Studios in Cobb.
But long before this extensive professional foray into the art scene, French received a Bachelor’s Degree in Art from San Jose State University, with a concentration in printmaking.
As an art form, printmaking is something many people may not be familiar with, especially in this increasingly digital age. But French loves the technical aspects involved in putting a piece together. The hardest part about the whole process is the order in which things have to be done, typically in reverse from a painting or drawing. “You have to think backward,” French said. “It’s actually harder to be a good printmaker than a good painter in a lot of ways … Painting is a lot less tedious.”
Painting has it’s own challenges though, as French knows. He’s been creating art for years and he’s particularly fond of artists of the Nabis school of art, a post-Impressionist style which results in highly vibrant, luscious scenes. “There was a lot of love in their work,” French said.
He credits Vuillard, of the Nabis school, as one of his favorite artists of all time. He also loves work from Monet and Rembrandt, just to name a couple.
When it came time to perfect his own style, French found himself really leaning toward Impressionism and Expressionism. “My work is representational, kind of heartfelt, really similar to Bulliard’s work,” he explained.
French’s work is included in “Works of art 18-21 Century,” which shows until Feb. 28. The studio is located at 16400 Golf Rd. in Cobb and is open Thursday-Sunday from 11 a.m. -5 p.m or by appointment. Call French at 650-703-8863.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at .900-2019.
