James C. Adams (1969)
His drawings come to life with bite and snarl - an artist that creates it like he sees it, female empowerment outside the confinement of labels.
"I was five years old. I remember flipping through one of my mother's woman's magazines and there was an illustration of a female in lingerie. I felt compelled to draw it. I've been hooked ever since".
"I draw every moment I can. I visualize the illustration before I even buy the illustration board for it. After going through reference material, I take a walk in the park or around the corner to gather my thoughts.
" I love the contrasting nature of ink drawings. I've always been attracted to noir. I grew up watching The Addams Family and The Munsters. To this day, those characters still play a huge influence on my art. When color is used right, it can create moods that are unforgettable. However, black and white moodsgain a stronger presence in my head.
"I stress strong pen and ink skills, with delicate ink washes that accentuate my ink-work. Think of it as a vanilla ice-cream and chocolate syrup sundae, with a nice, juicy, colorful cherry on top.
"I love the greats - Frank Frazetta, Luis Royo, Hajime Sorayama, OliviaDe Berardinis, VictoriaFrances , Paul Calle and Walter Girotto. It's their artwork that continues to inspire me to this day. What truly inspires me are their unique styles. You can feel it when you look at their artwork. They truly love what they do... and so do I."
Throughout his early childhood, he displayed talents in both music and art, but never took them seriously. He focused his studies on math and mechanical/architectural drafting in his high school years. However, this did not suit James very well. In his senior year in high school, he took a beginner art class and shocked the art teacher with his artistic abilities. Whereas she remarked, "Where have you've been these last 4 years?"
It wasn't until his late 20's, when he decided to go to art school. James moved to Denver, CO in 1992. He attended and graduated with honors (1994 - 1996) at the Art Institute of Colorado, formerly Colorado Institute of Art with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Visual Communication, while working as a receptionist. Upon after graduation, he work as an Online Graphic Designer for KUSA 9News for a year. He, then, worked for South Surburban Park and Recreation District as a Graphic Designer for 3 years. During which time, he was subcontracted through various live entertainment companies as a Caricature Artist. He worked along sides many talented individuals, including the world famous SU-Z-Q-Z the clown.
He continued doing caricatures on the weekends and working full-time warehouse jobs for 10 years. However due to economic difficulties and a decline in caricature work, he decided to quit caricatures and concentrate his efforts in warehouse work.
The desire to express himself creatively overwhelmed James, thus resulting in commission pinup work and the launch of ArtOfJamesAdams.com in 2009. In 2010, James self published 2 books, "Through the Black Iron Gate" and "Fist Full of Devils". Currently, he is working on an all new pinup book of his most recent artwork, due to be self-published late 2011. His artwork has been displayed in Mirelle's Lingerie shop, as well as various corporate newsletter publications.