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Artist Gallery
Jim has been interested in photography since fourth grade, he got serious about it while in the U.S. Army (mid 1960's). He has lived in the Mother Lode area since 1958. Jim graduated from University of Stanislaus in 1970 with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Economics. In the course of his working life he has been an appraiser, webmaster, website designer/builder, software designer, advocate for elders, software business owner, and, of course, an artist. His goal is to create images that are "pre-visualizations" and not strict recordings of actual scenes. Using digital cameras and a computer to mold the images to fit his conception, his results are, sometimes quite subtle, sometimes dramatic, often they lay somewhere in between. His subjects are primarily from the Central Sierra, both east and west sides, and the Pacific Coast from Point Reyes to Cambria. Mr. Sells' work is eclectic, including Landscapes, macro-photography, portraits, flora and fauna as well as abstracts. It may bounce from photo-realistic to imaginary dreamscapes and anything in between. His goal is very simple – "I wish to entertain the viewer. It's just that simple." He became dissatisfied with his finished photographs, feeling they did not adequately connect with his audience. Then in 1986 he learned of the artistic possibilities offered by computers – and no photographic pixel has been safe since. Now, using programs such as Photoshop, Painter by Corel, Flame Painter, and others, his art is able to communicate through his images. For example, his "Painter" series shows a landscape in the process of being painted, however, the painter and the background are graphic, or "painterly" in style, while the "painting" on the artist's easel is actually a photograph; a reversal of reality, if you will.
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