Jim Kociuba

Making art and teaching have been two constant passions in my life. I have been obsessed with the idea of trying to capture bits of the visual energy presented by the natural world in my paintings. My style of painting varies dramatically based on what I perceive as the best way to emphasize the essence of trees and waterways. One technique that I am painting is a series inspired by the Japanese word Komorebi which describes the way sunlight filters through the leaves of trees. The underpainting is a loose gestural sketch to represent the branches of the trees. Short diagonal brushstrokes mimicking pixels overlaying most of the underpainting in a process that takes months to complete. I find the painting process to be a sort of meditative process while building up the surfaces of the image. My hope is to bring the viewer closer to nature and to feel the slowed pulse of the natural world. I have been privileged to have been juried into a variety of exhibitions. My work is in personal and public collections in New England and New York including a permanent installation at Massachusetts Institue of Technology. A complete list of recent exhibitions, awards, and memberships can be viewed on my website under the past exhibitions / biography tab.

Jim Kociuba is an American artist whose paintings are kept in personal and corporate collections throughout New England and New York. The styles of his work range from observed realism to a personal form of modern pointillism.During his long career as an art teacher and fine artist he has looked to the rural landscape for inspiration. Spending summers at his grandmother’s lake front cottage created memories of woodlands and waterscapes which appear in the imagery of his paintings. The common thread of his paintings is highlighting the restorative power and energy that can be found in the natural world.Jim’s diverse choices of techniques and stylistic approaches are informed by the visual and emotional qualities of his subject matter. His woodland pieces feature gesturally painted tree trunks overlayed with fragmented diamond shaped brush strokes. He says that these paintings are influenced by the Japanese word komorebi, which describes sunlight passing through the leaves of trees. Jim’s diamond shaped brushstrokes evoke a world filled with glittering light.His waterway paintings are created with a variety of textural and sculptural surface treatments to mimic the flowing and sparkling qualities of the fluid surface. Layers of gesso thickened with marble dust and pumice combined with paint create a textural surface for these paintings. Acrylic paint is applied with rollers, paint syringes, and brushes to create images of memories of lakes, streams, and the oceans.Jim says that his goal in making art is to provide the viewer with a sense of peace and calm with his nature inspired paintings.