Frances James (1910 - 2000)

  Frances James, a native Californian and artist-in-residence of Gardena, has achieved remarkable stature in the art world in a career that spans more than 15 years of study and depiction of one of america's last and independent Indian tribes. Her work, today reflects a refinement of the skilled tutelage of Nicolai Fechin, the 20th century Peer of artists recording the life of the american indian. Few can match her magnificent renderings, in brush and pallet-knife technique, of the dark dignity and weathered faces about the Taos, New Mexico Indians. In 1961 her "Motherless Lamb" entered at the Great Madonna Festival, received both the purchase Award and the most Popular Award. She continues to make trips, throughout the great southwest, in search of subjects and their way of life the will disappear before this century is recorded into history.

Frances James, in the early part of her career, studied Water-color and Oils in Europe. Then, for further study with Christian Von Schneidau, Otis Art Institute and finally with the late Nicolai Fechin. She is listed in the Who's Who of American Art. Now has the well known Frances James Art School in Torrance.

Her paintings are know throughout the great Southwest. They are in the private collections , schools, churches and even in South Africa.

Whether it be portrait, landscape, or seascape the mastery of the subject by this artist comes through so strongly to the viewer the there is immediate recognition that this is a "James".

"To interpret the life of the Navajo, the Cheyenne, the Apache with mastery and maturity; achieving the full stature as an artist - this, then is my path."