James Wolnick is a painter whose work favors a hyper clarity and an enigmatic narrative viewpoint. Many of his fine art pieces chronicle the vast, golden, landscapes of the San Fernando Valley, parched concrete flood channel, and endless blue skies. With a background in illustration, his ability for creating realism is compelling; yet it is that plausibility that delights the viewer with the implausibility of surrealistic additions.

A versatile artist to be sure, James creates in a variety of mediums. Each genre, James takes command of the particular medium with mastery, as it is a conduit for expression. Whether applying hundreds of fine vertical strokes of umber acrylic paint in a sea of dry, Southern California brush grasses, or man-handling yards of chicken wire in preparation for the concrete life size sculptures; James creates with intention and force.

Born into a creative family, his mother is a watercolorist and father, a photographer.  

James was born in Evanston Illinois, a north Chicago suburb. Always fascinated by art, James sold his 1st etching in the 7th grade. He studied at the Art Center in Pasadena and received his B.F.A. at the prestigious Otis Parsons Art Institute in Los Angeles.  

James Wolnick can claim the Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, as well as the advertising firm of Foster and Kleiser as his clients. His exhibitions have included a solo show of his isolated and evocative landscapes at the gallery in Gordon Biersch Art Space in Pasadena as well as a solo show at the Regional Gallery at the Sangre de Christo Art Center in Southern Colorado. 

He has been a director for the Pueblo Art Guild for the past year, and has won three Best of Show awards and has taught art for over a decade.