...about James Drake Iams

James Drake Iams has the uncanny ability to endow his watercolors with a vitality to which viewers instinctively relate. This inherent quality eludes precise description, but, in combination with a crisp freshness, it is closely akin to a kind of authenticity- a close attention to selective, significant detail.

Mr. Iams, for example, has been sailing the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries for nearly four decades. His fascination with boats seems to rival his love for painting. It is not surprising that many of his subjects are boats of one kind or another. His perception is sharp and is as instinctive as breathing.

Mr. Iams conducts painting workshops on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and, annually, on cruises and charter-flight trips abroad. He gives lectures and painting demonstrations to art organizations.

A public school teacher for thirty-two years, Iams now paints full time. He is a member of the American Watercolor Society, the American Society of Marine Artists and the Baltimore Watercolor Society. His work has received national and international recognition and is represented in various galleries and numerous private collections.

A resident of Lutherville, Maryland, Mr. Iams is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and holds graduate degrees from Pennsylvania State University and the Maryland Institute College of Art.

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