Gordon C. James

On Facebook and available by phone, 240-605-5275 or email: gjamespaintings@aol.com. IG: @gordoncjamesfineart

Gordon's website is at https://www.gordoncjames.com.

For lecture invitations, see https://thebookingbiz.com/client/gordon-c-james/

Gordon C. James is proud to create beautiful works of art that tell stories and bring a little more beauty to the world. 

Gordon C. James was born in Washington, DC and has been pursuing an art career ever since attending high school at Suitland Center for the Visual and Performing Arts in Forestville, Maryland.  From there he went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from School of Visual Arts in New York City.

After a national search in 1997, Gordon was one of only two full time illustrators hired to work for Hallmark Cards Inc.  After leaving Hallmark in 2001 Gordon has gone on to become an award-winning fine artist. He works to achieve the highest level of craftsmanship and beauty.  These qualities have led to his paintings being featured in International Artist Magazine and his work being part of the Paul R. Jones Collection at the University of Alabama.  Gordon’s work is soulful, emotive and technically sound.  He tells stories with each stroke of his brush.

In 2017 after occupying his studio at ClearWater just under a year, the children's book he illustrated, 'Crown- An Ode To The Fresh Cut' garnered several critical rave reviews on sites like Kirkus.com and others. By late 2017 it was on the bestseller / best reads lists of the New York Times, NPR, the L.A. Times and more; by mid-2018 it had earned him four major literary awards including the Newberry (Honor); the Caldicott (Honor); the Ezra Jack Keats (Honor); and the Coretta Scott King (Honor); and, he won the national Gold Medal for 2018 from the American Society of Illustrators. Finally in October 2018, he won the coveted Kirkus Award (shared with local author, Derrick Barnes, also awarded the forementioned literary awards). Gordon has illustrated other children's books in prior years and now prioritizes children’s book illustration as his full-time profession - when he can fit in the work around the lecture circuit! He credits the focus that having his studio at ClearWater has afforded, as a factor in his recent success. In 2018 another book he illustrated here, ‘Let ‘Er Buck,’ a children’s biopic about African-American bronco rider, George Fletcher was released. It continues to earn rave reviews; and in 2019 he is working on more book commissions and continuing to travel to meet lecture invitations at schools, libraries and book festivals. His original illustrations have been placed in a traveling exhibit and he continues to be excited about meeting and speaking alongside authors and illustrators he admires.

Also in 2018, Gordon’s artwork - the painting featured in the header of this page— was selected for the 2018 ArtPop! Street Art Gallery, garnering placement on one full-size physical billboard in the city and several digital billboards at the Charlotte-Douglas Airport as well as on public transit, for a year.

Gordon has suspended teaching while in high demand as an illustrator; but will entertain commissions. His paintings are for sale in his studio and he can be found here working most days (when not traveling). He has served as President of the ClearWater Artists Coalition from 2017-2019.

Gordon also manages (and draws at) Live Figure Drawing at ClearWater Artist Studios, every 3rd Thursday evening in the Main Gallery (see Events). $15 to draw a nude model for 3 hours. See Events.