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. He now lives with his wife Sue in the Endless Mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania, where they raised their three children.

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

“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.”