Jim Corkrum
"If I had to choose the ideal job for the rest of my life, it would be traveling, writing and working on my art."
These words explain many things, not only about Jim Corkrum personally, but about his art. Many of his works are the result of his travels around the US, Canada, Polynesia, and Western Europe.
While he resists having his own picture taken, he does like the photo taken by his wife Susan when they arrived at Rome's Ciampino Airport in March 2003. Says Jim, "It captures me at one of the happiest moments of my life: arriving at one of the far off places in the world that I truly love." You can easily see that love in his photos and digital paintings.
Jim is a native Californian, and now lives in Ephrata, WA, a small town of 5,700 people in Central Washington. He and Susan left the madness of California in 1992 to recapture a better life in a small town. Says Jim, "In Ephrata, life moves at a slower, less hectic pace and you can walk anywhere instead of driving."
He has led an interesting and varied life, from working as a grocery clerk to political consulting with some of the most famous politicians of our time.
Jim is a long time computer expert, having run his own computer consultancy business as well as working for larger companies in the field. He pioneered the use of computers in political campaigns in California and helped bring fiber optic technology to people's homes and businesses in Grant County, WA. As an author, he wrote hundreds of political direct mail pieces, radio and TV commercials and several published articles. He is now a full time artist.
He first took up photography in college as part of his journalism major. After taking several classes, he eventually wound up as a student teacher. A few early pieces of work from those days reveal how his gift has matured over the years.
"I have always had a good eye for composition. Even though I didn't do much with photography for many years, it all came back to me when I seriously took up photography again in the 90's. Computers really opened the doors of imagination and creativity for making beautiful photos and digital paintings.
All of Jim's works begin with a image created using mostly slide film. It is scanned into a computer and eventually become a photograph, an etching/line drawing or a digital painting. To read more about his technique, go to:
https://www.corkrum.com/jim/techniques.htm
According to Jim, "My artwork is a reflection of my own private world. This means that like all genuine art, it needs only to be true to itself."
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"Autumn Creek"
"Saluzzo Door"
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