"Survivor," shown above, is an example of Jim Warren's mastery of surrealistic imagery.
Jim Warren's "Seven Demons," shown here, combines a vivid palette with offbeat subject matter -- illustrating the reason he is often called a master of imagination.
"Like all kids do, I painted when I was a child," relates Jim Warren. "Everybody's an artist when they're a child, but some of us never stop. I never stopped."
That determination to persevere has propelled Jim Warren to remarkable success as a fine artist and illustrator. His striking art poster entitled "Earth, Love It or Lose It" became a nationwide symbol for the environmental movement; his cover art for Bob Seger's "Against the Wind" album won a Grammy; and his oil paintings are so charismatic that viewers want desperately to inhabit the worlds depicted on the canvas.
Warren, who has ben described as a cross between Salvador Dali and Norman Rockwell, is best known for his fine-art portrayals of enticing fantasy worlds. His oil paintings tell stories, capture daydreams on canvas, and blend warm, realistic representations with fantasy-like themes. In fact, internationally renowned marine life artist Wyland has referred to him as "a living legend of the art world."
Noted as a master of imagination, Warren has also created hundreds of book jackets, movie posters, and album covers in addition to "Against the Wind." He has illustrated books by Robin Cook, Arthur C. Clark, Clive Barker, and Stuart Woods among others, and his art is widely reproduced on greeting cards and puzzles. His accomplishments also include a series of paintings conceived in collaboration with Disney Studios that feature classic characters including Mickey Mouse and Captain Hook.
His work has earned him a legion of celebrity fans ranging from singer Chaka Khan to actress Juliette Lewis.
Despite the acclaim and successes -- and despite a career of more than 35 years -- Jim Warren remains modestly soft spoken, with an undiminished passion for painting. Not long ago, he offered some reflections on his life, inspirations, and the art that has earned him an unparalleled reputation.
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Q: When you began your creative career, what goals did you have for your work?
Jim Warren: What I originally set out to do is to have fun with it, and make a few waves in the art world. I set out in the beginning, during high school, to do paintings that were story-like -- such as I had heard in songs and seen in movies.
I wanted to reach people instinctively -- to have them say, "I love this and I want it in my house" -- to get into it. People interpret art in different ways, and that to me is what art is all about.
Q: What do you want people to see, and how do you want them to feel, when they look at a Warren painting?
JW: I want them to be inspired and uplifted the way I was with the artists and musicians that inspired me while growing up.
I hope they'll experience the world of the painting. Each one is its own world -- you can go into it and see things you haven't seen before. You can have fun with it, using your imagination, like a movie that you can interpret different ways.
Q: What artists have influenced you?
JW: My favorite artists were Dali, Rockwell, Warhol and Monet. Also I was influenced by music in the 60s -- by such artist as the Beatles and the Beach Boys.
Q: You painted covers for a number of recording artists' albums. Do you do any of that now?
JW: I painted covers for rock and jazz artists such as Bob Seger, Alice Cooper and the Billy Cobham/George Duke Band, and I won a Grammy for the Bob Seger cover "Against the Wind" in 1981.
When I won that award, the art director for Capitol Records called me up and said congratulations, and I said, "For what?" And he said, "Didn't you watch the Grammys?" I was proud of the album cover. People told me they bought it just for the album cover, and that was really nice.
Up until the late 80s, album cover art was a big thing -- but since the music industry went to smaller CD covers, artwork isn't of much importance so I don't do any (or even try to).
Q: How has your work with Disney Studios influenced your fine art pieces?
JW: My art has always been inspired by Disney since a child, so collaboration with Disney brought back much of that original creative inspiration for painting the whimsical.
Q: What would you describe as a "classic" Jim Warren painting?
JW: I have certain themes such as woman, oceans and children -- and often a blend of each together -- which are my most classic paintings in my classic surreal style.
Q: How do you feel your work has evolved in recent years?
JW: My work is more versatile through the years as I have experimented with different subject matters. I try to always better myself and try new things so as not to get bored -- or be boring.
Q: Some of your recent images feature snow as part of the landscape of the painting. What inspired you to incorporate snow in your art?
JW: I was asked to do an art show on the Princess Cruise Alaskan trip -- an area I have never been. Just looking through pictures or anticipating going to an area is enough to inspire me.
Q: What makes you proudest about your work?
JW: The comments by e-mail from around the world from people who say my art has made their day brighter -- many from countries where there are wars constantly and very little freedom. Those e-mails say, over and over again, that it was great to tour my site and get a relief from what's been going on.
The people that write to me tell me that the journey through my site uplifted them, or they cried because they felt the things they saw were so beautiful. The fact that I hear that so many times from different parts of the world ... that's success, I think. Success isn't just the commercial thing, but the response from people.
Q: Though you're still exploring creative frontiers, you've already had a long and productive career that any artist might envy. Besides a lot of hard work, what lies behind your success?
JW: The only way you're going to do good work is to get up in the morning and be excited about it. You have to go where the artistic wind blows -- you have to paint from the heart.
