Jim Lee 

Draughtsman, Printmaker/Book Artist

Jim Lee was born in the Mid-west, received a B.A. from Bethany College in studio arts and a M.F.A. in printmaking from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1980.

Since the early 1990’s, landscape has been at the core of his work. Recent work has been based on the landscape of Ireland, New England and Maritime Canada. He often begins a series of work with pastel, watercolor and pencil drawings done on-site, and from these develops his prints, which are primarily color reduction woodcuts. He is also very interested in the people who inhabit the locations he depicts, weaving references to their history and culture into his work. Humor and satire also often show up in various ways.

In 1978 he established a private press called Blue Moon Press, which occasionally issues limited edition letterpress books. His limited edition, hand-printed books contain his images and letterpress texts (sometimes publishing poetry or writing by other writers).

Jim Lee’s work has been exhibited in many national and international print and artist’s book exhibitions. Recent exhibitions include: Yinchuan Dialogue: China-American International Printmaking Exhibition, Yinchuan Art Museum, 2016; Stand Out Prints, 2016 International Print Exhibtion, Highpoint Center for Printmaking, Minneapolis, MN; Atlanta Print Biennial International Juried Exhibition, Atlanta, GA, 2015; IPCNY New Prints 2014 (shown at Christies’ Auction House); IPCNY New Prints/New Narratives Summer 2013, NY; and The Boston Printmakers 2013 North American Print Biennial, Boston, MA.

His work is in many important print and book collections, including: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Portrait Gallery, The Getty Art Center, The Wadsworth Athenaeum, The Boston Athenaeum, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Guangdong Museum of Fine Art, China, and many special collections including The New York Public Library, The Boston Public Library, Yale University, and Harvard University.

He taught printmaking, drawing and book arts at the Hartford Art School/University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT from 1982 - 2020.