When Jim first started Wildlife Visions, he was encouraged by many other artists he looked up to, to stay true to himself, and draw subjects that he knew well and were meaningful to him. He always stayed true to his style so people could identify his art from other artists. Ever since Jim was a young boy, he loved to draw with a pencil. Over the years he has drawn countless pieces of art. Jim has sharpened his skills and his pencils to become one of the top wildlife illustrators in his field.

 

Over the years, doing countless shows and art exhibits Jim found that sometimes people didn't appreciate all the time he spent doing his black and white pencil artwork. People would call his work that he'd put many hours into a "Sketch" or say something like, "I really like it, but wish it was in color!" Jim had been painting for a long time but felt his black-and-white drawings were much stronger than his paintings. Then one day his close friend and mentor artist Lester "Jay" Wright took him under his wing and introduced him to a great tool, the airbrush. This changed Jim's life and art forever.