James griffin, artist

05/27/2026

EMPATH. Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30 x 1.5 inches, 76 x 76 cm, 2026. I am usually a fairly quick painter, but every now and then a piece gives me trouble, probably because I’m not sure where it’s going. This one took almost two years of painting and repainting and destroying, restoring and pushing ahead. She is no one in particular, but more of a combination of many people I’ve known. What it means is up to you!

05/27/2026

Check out my my new artwork available on Singulart.

The Chimera was a mythological creature from the ancient Greeks. It was able to change its form at will, sometimes appearing as several different things at o...

04/16/2026

Sometimes an opportunity presents itself that seems unlikely. James was contacted by the curator for the Office of Art in Embassies with a request to include two of his paintings in the American Embassy in Singapore. Today these two paintings Iridescence and Allegro- White Bird of Paradise are on their way. James was very excited!

03/20/2026

WINTER GOLD, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30 inches (76 x 76 cm) 2026, James Griffin b. Canada, (1949-).
This painting was inspired by a view out my kitchen window. The morning sun glowed with such color, I had to paint it! I was most interested in how the golden light seemed to envelop everything, even the shadows and the turquoise sky. The brushstrokes wanted to break up into little rectangles of harmonious colors and gold. This is a piece that must be seen in person, because the metallic gold stands out strikingly and then fades into the background as the viewer moves around the room.

03/06/2026

Paintings of Tennessee by James Griffin available in the Griffin Art Gallery on Main Street Jonesborough.

02/26/2026

CARRIAGE BARN, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 inches (41 x 51 cm) 2026, James Griffin b. Canada (1949-)
I found this old relic on a walk in my neighborhood. Thank you to whoever owns it, for not fixing it, modernizing it or tearing it down. The old ways echo in this building. I can imagine the scent of hay and horses, the family carriage parked in the next stall. I think about these things as I paint, but the story wasn’t what grabbed me. It was the light on beautiful geometric surfaces that drew me in. On view at Griffin Art Gallery, Jonesborough, Tennessee.

02/26/2026

Grandkids meet real art!

12/30/2025

A WALK IN WINTER, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 30 inches (61 x 76 cm), 2025. James Griffin b. Canada (1949-).
The best way to overcome winter blues is to embrace the season. When I get out and walk, I see so much beauty . The leaves and greens are gone, replaced by golds and oranges, purples and vibrant blue skies. Talk about winter blues!
I asked Debbie to cross the street to be part of this scene. The orange late afternoon light and deep, long shadows, grabbed me. I liked the warm light on the big pecan tree and the planes of old houses against the light blue sky, gave me a thrill on the shortest day of the year. On view and available from Griffin Art Gallery, Jonesborough Tennessee.

12/12/2025

OTHERWORLDS, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30 inches (102 x 76 cm), 2025, James Griffin, b.Canada (1949-). I am fascinated by the possibility of many different worlds, existing side by side simultaneously. Physics has been talking about this idea for years. Past, present and future exist at the same moment as well as infinite other versions of our lives, ourselves. This painting takes on this concept, showing different realities existing on one canvas. I didn’t plan this piece, I just followed the paint where it wanted to go. Perhaps our dreams are otherworlds. On view and available at Griffin Art Gallery, Jonesborough, Tennessee.

12/06/2025

It was cold and rainy outside but cheerful,and warm in our gallery this evening as friends and artists attended the Opening Receltion for “We Are A Tapestry” at the Griffin Art Gallery in Jonesborough, Tennessee, Great conversation and refreshments! Art and Dollhouses!. Thank you to everyone who came!

11/18/2025

My newest painting, Super Moon inspired by my recent airplane ride to Montreal! The moon was setting over Queens New York as the plane ascended into the sky and it looked like a glowing orange orb over the horizon. I did a quick sketch and knew that I needed to paint this when I got home. It’s available in my gallery, Griffin Art Gallery, 20 x 20, acrylic on canvas.