Born and raised in Ontario, James Gummerson has devoted the majority of his life to drawing and painting. For over twenty years, he has depicted the natural and rural landscapes of Canada. In 1999 he was nominated as one of the top 5 artists in Canada for the prestigious Ducks Unlimited artist of the year competition and speaks out regularly against environmental issues that face us today. He is also known for his illustration of the popular Children’s book “One Step at time” by Lori Craig about a young girl with a disability. He continues to travel throughout Canada and spends most of his time painting in and around the rural area of Hamilton and the Niagara Escarpment where he lives with his wife and 2 Children.

Since the early 1990’s my work has incorporated representational and expressionistic paintings through the use of Acrylic and Watercolor paint. In 1995 I began using different paper, canvas and boards throughout my paintings to express the emotional elements of the painting. I continue to incorporate different materials on which to paint and utilize different styles depending on how I feel for the subject.

In my work, I explore Canadian Landscapes, History, and Culture, through the use of subject matter I have obtained throughout my travels across Canada. My work also addresses issues such as Conservation, and Urban Sprawl, through the use of naturalistic and non urban elements that portray a sense of preservation and spirituality. In many instances both past and present elements appear in a painting, coexisting to suggest the progression of time as well as our ideas and values towards ecological issues. Finally, the paintings document as well as confront.

As I have traveled throughout much of Canada and my home province of Ontario, I create images that provide clues to my own ideologies. Often I will work spontaneously to document the experience and at other times spend many hours in inclement weather painting only to conclude that the painting may need more time to complete in the studio. It is a process that requires intuition and stamina. I work mainly in Watercolors and Acrylics on canvas, board or various types of paper. Both mediums are similar and versatile which I use to symbolize both strong and a gentle qualities through the use of thick or transparent applications. The various materials, subject matter, and ideas are unified to suggest my perception and experiences of my life within Canada.