By Marc Gave | New Pelican Writer

In my daily Facebook post, “The Artist’s Life,” I write about a staggering variety of visual artists, many of whom made art for decades and are no longer with us. Of those who are still working, the majority have produced a sizable body of artwork in one recognizable style or in a specific range of styles and media.

When writing about a young up-and-coming North Lauderdale artist such as painter James Brooks, the story is only beginning to be told. He is exploring his main medium, acrylic paints, along with watercolors, and extending his range.

This South Florida native states that he “always had a knack for art. I began drawing and coloring when I was around three. My grandfather is a retired architect, and I believe I inherited my talent from him. It came naturally. I won a contest at Broward Mall at a very young age.”

Eventually, Brooks attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, which helped launch his career as an artist. He now lives in the area where he grew up. Previously, he was a resident of Coconut Creek and before that of Coral Springs, where he recently exhibited his work at the Coral Springs Museum of Art and is a member of its Artist Guild.

While he creates paintings on commission – especially animal pictures and pet portraits – and left to his own devices, Brooks says his “inspiration can come from anywhere and anything: from nature, from going to the movies. It’s like a sixth sense.”

When he addresses the easel, he strives to work outside of traditional norms, rendering his subjects “in colorful, eccentric ways but with a classy elegance.” Brooks said he’s considering experimenting outside his traditional media. “Perhaps I’ll work in oils – or coffee.”

One experiment he has recently undertaken is applying three-dimensional flowers to canvas. “I bought silk flowers at a local store, spray-painted them, and glued them onto the canvas. It’s a long process, as it takes the flowers several hours to dry. But I got the idea and wanted to challenge myself to see what I could do with them.”

Inspiration comes from encountering other artists’ work as well. “It gets me to see different people’s perspectives, giving me experiences beyond what I can experience firsthand.”

One such recent experience was a visit to the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg. “It was very amazing to see his out-of-the-box paintings.” Brooks said. Another visit was to the immersive Van Gogh exhibition last year in Miami. “I felt myself transported to his world.”

While he doesn’t strive to imitate their styles, they do greatly enhance his vision and his approach to painting.

Brooks finds Broward County to be very supportive of the arts. “It is open to art and artists in an ever-expanding way. This works in two positive ways: letting our (artists’) voices be heard and building a public appreciation for artists. As art is my passion, I paint from my heart, and I believe my art has a healing factor as well.”

He continues, “My biggest thrill comes when I inspire other artists who haven’t painted in a long time to return to their work.”

Visit Artist Touch – James Brooks Facebook page to see more of his work.