Light and pigment establish form, create space and effect color vibration in James P. Kerr’s oil paintings.

The Dreams of Life exhibition at Emillions Art showcases the perfect combination of impressionism and abstract expressions by American postwar and contemporary painter James P. Kerr.

Born in 1953 into a well-known arts community in Buffalo, New York, James P. Kerr studied art at a young age (10) with Lazlo Szabo, a renowned Hungarian portrait painter and Carl Illig, a prominent landscape painter. Responding to the vibrant colors of nature, he developed a high-key palette whose style of painting is best described as a combination of impressionism and abstract expressions.

Mr. Kerr works in a direct manner, using properties of light and pigment to establish form, create space and effect color vibration. His unique painting style combines light and color to give the feeling of a scene rather than exact details. He emphasizes emotions and reactions rather than showing objects as they really appear.

The artist describes his oil paintings as all about “capturing a moment in time.” Much of his work comes from scenic spots where he has lived in New England, Florida, the Bahamas, and in North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast. He is also influenced by the somber tones of the New Orleans nightlife and jazz musicians.

For more than 25 years, he has been exhibiting oils drawing inspiration from both the Impressionists and the works of 20th century abstract painters. He has held more than 20 one-man shows throughout the United States and his paintings are represented in hundreds of private and corporate collections worldwide, including the Wachovia Bank and Trust, RJR Nabisco, Glaxo Wellcome, Bank of America, and MBNA. One of his paintings was selected by the U.S. Department of State for an Art in Embassies exhibition in Muscat, Oman.

The Dreams of Life exhibition is open to the public 10 am until 5 pm, March 11-31, closed Sundays. Private appointments are available.

His paintings are for sale in the Emillions Art showroom or online.