Jessica Crabtree

Bama’s career reads like a cross between that of Norman Rockwell and Charles Marion Russell. Born 1926 in Manhattan, his early career paralleled that of Rockwell (as a commercial artist and illustrator, including work with the Saturday Evening Post). But like Russell, he became a “child of the West” after moving to Wyoming in the 60′s to be closer to the subjects he desired to portray.

Since then he has become a living legend of Western art. His extensive portfolio covers nearly 50 years of work in capturing the iconography of Western lore, from cowboys to mountain men, in gorgeous life-like realism. He is one of the most renowned painters of Native American portraits (which makes up a sizable share of his portfolio), generally painted from live models in historical attire. One of the things I appreciate most about his work, aside from his skill in realism, is the historical integrity and his no-nonsense, un-romanticized treatment of the subjects.

“James Bama’s modern realism approaches the larger-than-life romance of the West from a new angle. The subjects of his portraits are real people, doing real work, with the history of generations past written in their faces and the surrounding landscapes. ”

Profile from The Greenwich Workshop

JAMES BAMA: Gallery and Artist Profile from The Greenwich Workshop

There are so many stunning paintings in his portfolio I had a hard time choosing which ones to feature in this post, so I’ve included just a few of my favorites (click images for larger view).

“Young Plains Indian”

“Old Arapaho Storyteller”

“Little Fawn”