Growing up in Oregon, JAMES BAGLEY developed an early and abiding appreciation for nature on frequent hunting and fishing trips with his father. The young Bagley enjoyed sketching and drawing, but envisioned a future career in fish and game management. During his high school years, Bagley worked part-time for the Oregon Game Commission, an experience that solidified his love of the outdoors but also made him aware that he didn't want to be a part of a bureaucracy.

In college Bagley selected the pragmatic commercial art courses along with painting and became a graphic designer and art director with major advertising agencies in Portland. He still had dreams of being a fine artist and kept honing his skills as a painter and interpreter of landscape. Deciding to work as a freelance designer and painter in Portland, Bagley and his wife made frequent trips to visit her family in New Mexico. In 1985 the Bagleys decided to make New Mexico their home. Gradually cutting back on commercial art he soon was focused on being a full-time artist and began supplying his paintings to galleries.

Always alert to the awesome colors and forms of the dramatic interactions between land and sky in the west, Bagley travels to places most others drive around or fly over or otherwise ignore. He leaves the famous places such as national parks for others to interpret. His quest is to locate, experience and document the splendor of the undiscovered and undeveloped and through his vast talent to keep it from being unvalued.

 

Powered by CityMaker.com