ABOUT THE ARTIST  

Oil painter James Penedos was born in 1951 in Caminha, Portugal, on the northern coast, where his father ran the village café. In 1959, his father moved the family to Newark, New Jersey. James’ Portuguese childhood and early city influences reflect richly in his paintings. Since 1976, he has lived with his wife Sue in the Endless Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, where they raised their three children.

Self taught, James started early by studying in depth the works and writings of great painters, doing countless reproductions to learn the masters' techniques. Over the years, he has exhibited in galleries in New York City and Paris, as well as in various galleries in Colorado, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. His works are in many collections around the country. 

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About his art: "My work is fundamentally experimentation with form, composition, the harmonious interplay of color, and whatever is derived from within the process of painting, without preconceived thought. It is transforming paint through a visual exploration into a work that exercises these elements, to arrive at some form of content, although possibly perceived differently by you and me. This is fulfillment; it is often not political, ecological, or spiritual, but just is."

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James and marble sculptor, Charles Welles, own and operate The Springville Schoolhouse Art Studios, originally a 1920’s brick high school in the country village of Springville, PA. They renovated the classrooms of the old schoolhouse into artists’ studio apartments and studios. The first and second floor hallways of the former school house unique and spacious galleries. James has his painting studio there, as well as his photography studio and dark room. 

James is one of the founding members of the cooperative gallery, Artists for Art (AFA), in Scranton, Pennsylvania.