Abraham Lincoln Art Gallery. ComThe Artist James J. Nance, Sculptor
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Bronze Portrait and Figure Sculptor James J. Nance Artistic Biography
More commission information can be found on our sister website www.JamesNanceSculpture.com
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James was born in Dallas and grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where, inspired by his exposure to western artists such as Remington and Russell, he developed an early interest in painting and sculpture. However, his love for aviation led him first to a career as a pilot. After graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1971, he served a five year tour of duty as an Air Force pilot, including service in Viet Nam. Later, during the oil pipeline construction, he worked as a bush pilot in Alaska and then accepted a job with Hughes Air West Airlines. Several mergers later he ended up with Northwest Airlines where he was a senior international captain before retiring early in 2007. The photo is from his retirement flight. While living in Minneapolis, James attended classes at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the Atelier Lack classical painting and drawing school. His art education was also complemented with an exhaustive study of human anatomy. Jim's wife Jeanne claims that his motto is "anything worth doing is worth overdoing," which he has vigorously applied to his study of art.
James has always felt that the human face is the window to the soul, so it isn't surprising that he was naturally drawn to the field of portrait sculpture. His interests and talents however aren't limited to portraiture; he has continued to develop his skill in figure sculpture and in 1989 won first place in the week long prestigious Johnston International Figure Sculpture competition, sponsored annually by the International Sculpture Center of Washington D.C. As a life long admirer of Abraham Lincoln, and a member of numerous Lincoln organizations including the Abraham Lincoln Association, and The Lincoln Forum, James is uniquely qualified to create sculpture of his favorite American. For more information on his quest to capture Lincoln's image and spirit, the reader is encouraged to visit the "Artist Essay" page where the story of these sculptures is detailed. In 1994, James, his wife Jeanne, moved to Loveland Colorado, to establish a studio and take advantage of the thriving artistic climate and the proximity to several of America's finest bronze art foundries. James maintains an active sculpture business with private portrait commissions. James will travel worldwide to meet with a client for the first portrait sculpture sitting. When not sculpting, James and Jeanne enjoy life with their seven dogs, Golden Retrievers Buster, Annie, and Maggie, English Springer Jasper, Welsh Corgie Tootsie, and black pugs Alfalfa and Yoda.
More commission information can be found on our sister website www.JamesNanceSculpture.com
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James
J. Nance is a portrait sculptor who has for thirty years developed his
artistic skills and reputation from studios in Minneapolis Minnesota and
Loveland Colorado. His expressive and accurate portrait commissions in
terra-cotta and bronze have
received enthusiastic acclaim and have been acquired by both public and private
collections. Institutional placements of his Lincoln project, "A
Portrait of Transition: Prairie Lawyer and Immortal Conscience", include
the Lincoln-Herndon Law Office Illinois State Historic Site, Springfield
Illinois; The Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Springfield, Illinois;
and the Lincoln Museum, Ft. Wayne, Indiana; The University of Tennessee
Knoxville College of Law. 
