Noted Maryland marine artist shares techniques with CCBC students

Noted Maryland watercolor artist James Drake Iams recently presented a three-workshop series on watercolor painting through the Senior Institute at CCBC Hunt Valley. Iams has been sailing the Chesapeake Bay for many years and not only has the eye of an artist, but also the eye of a sailor. This blend of perceptions has made him one of the premier artists of his genre.

Iams’ time spent on the bay and its tributaries has brought him face to face with the watermen and the marine creatures who inhabit the area, and who are often portrayed in his paintings. Maryland shores and the lifestyles of residents of the quaint towns and villages that dot the waterfront are brought to life in his collection of paintings. Iams is also a published artist with two books that feature a number of his works. Tidewater Publishers published Bayside Impressions in 1983. More recently, the Johns Hopkins University Press published Painting the Eastern Shore.

Through demonstrations, lectures and hands-on practice, students of Iams’ workshop series enhanced their knowledge of seascape and rendering of water and landscape, with emphasis on architectural drawing and painting. Still life work was also incorporated, with a concentration on composition.

A resident of Lutherville, Md., Iams is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He holds graduate degrees from Pennsylvania State University and the Maryland Institute College of Art. He is also a member of the American Watercolor Society and the American Society of Marine Artists.

The watercolor workshop series will be repeated in the Spring 2004 semester. For information classes call CCBC Hunt Valley at 443-840-5830.