ARTIST

American painter Jim Beckner currently resides in Denver, Colorado. He graduated from Colorado State University in 1994. He studied painting with Patrice Sullivan at Colorado State and furthered his artistic education at the Art Students League of Denver with instructor Mark Daily. He is the son of a painter, Joe Beckner.

Jim is currently pursuing two ideas in his painting, one being a more abstract interpretation of urban movement and energy. He is drawn to urban settings and the vitality of large cities. His exploration of painterly expressionism with various color harmonies and varying textures is a recurring theme in his work. He hopes to develop this concept to find new approaches and innovative visual solutions.

The second idea is more specific to the human figure as subject. He is pursuing the concept of using various color harmonies in the figure while maintaining a much more realistic approach to the subject. Most of his subjects are personal to him, such as his daughters, friends, and wife. Yet his technique is more focused on altering colors, playing with gesture, and creating mood. He hopes that these paintings maintain an element of “soul”, while still searching for new ways to express a visual idea.

Jim sometimes sets these two concepts aside though, and plays with new subjects and challenges himself to start paintings in new ways. This is often where the spark of a new idea or concept transpires.

Jim’s work continues to garner attention and demand a larger audience. His work can be seen in the recently published Landscapes of Colorado book, curated by Denver Art Museum Associate Curator Ann Daley. His work has been featured in magazines as well as many corporate and private collections.