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Art imitating life

One artist's passion was unearthed through overseas trips. He uses images of those trips to Europe and Asia in his artwork.

By CRISTINA QUERRER
Published August 26, 2005

Times Correspondent

TARPON SPRINGS - In his orderly studio, James E. Sikes stands by his white bookshelves of art books, paintbrushes, remnants, acrylic paints and mediums. His space encompasses the whole upper level of his Tarpon Springs home.

In the middle of the room is a spacious work center console with an inviting blank white canvas on top. Next to the canvas are plastic yogurt containers where he temporarily readies his paints. In the corner of the room, he shows off his stash of hand-made Japanese paper.

"These are potential for abstract pieces," Sikes said.

Sikes describes his artwork as "sort of a visual memoir." His point of departure may be vague, but his vision is a clear desire to record a personal place in time: A place where he met his Japanese wife of 30-plus years, Yoko, and far from the Michigan winters of his childhood.

It was from that desire that Sikes began to absorb the Japanese landscape, turning it into a collage of textures and luminous colors.

His first exposure to Japan came while he was a Department of Defense employee working the telecommunications field in Japan. He wasn't always interested in art, not even at a very young age, Sikes said. But when he saw how Japanese pottery and wood-block printing was made, it intrigued him so much he went to art galleries, where his passion was unearthed. It was at the end of 1979 he really began to get into art. "In my spare time and whenever I traveled I began reading art books and art magazines," Sikes said. His main mediums are acrylic and watercolor, and he sometimes combines them with Japanese paper, threads and textiles.

"All places that I have been, I photographed them and I used that," Sikes said of his paintings of teahouses, night scenes, old shops and geishas.

But in his latest exhibit, "A Landscape Journey - From Europe to Asia," which is running through Sept. 22 at the Tarpon Springs Cultural Center, Sikes included the European element.

His painting Hotel Coin Fleuri is his interpretation of the hotel on a quaint street corner in Annecy, France. Another painting titled Quiet Lane, 2005 with a male silhouette walking down a sleepy narrow road of Annecy were included in the European portion of his latest exhibit at the cultural center, where he exhibited last year.

The paintings resulted from his visits to Europe for telecommunications conventions throughout the years.

"This (year's) show sort of evolved from last year's show," Sikes said.

Incorporating his usual textural and collage techniques of Japanese and sometimes corrugated paper, Sikes included them on some of his European pieces also.

On most of his Asian pieces, Sikes signs his paintings with a red Chinese stamp that spells out his name phonetically, a name that was given to him by the family of a Chinese college buddy at Michigan State University.

Sikes said it was others' encouragement that pushed him to pursue his passion. He returns to Japan each year with his wife, who is a professional singer in Japan.

"These are very personal places I've been to and have some special memory for me," Sikes said of his paintings.

WHAT: James E. Sikes' "A Landscape Journey - From Europe to Asia: A Watermedia Painting and Collage Exhibit"

WHERE: Tarpon Springs Cultural Center, 101 S Pinellas Ave.

WHEN: Through Sept. 22. Exhibit hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

COST: Admission is free.

[Last modified August 26, 2005, 01:36:21]