​

ABOUT THE ARTIST

 

Born in Los Angeles, California in 1953, the youngest of three sons to an artist and a songwriter (who made their livings as a cocktail waitress and a grocery store clerk), Jim was drawn to puppets, theatre, magic, cartoons and puns for as long as he can remember. He put on puppet and magic shows in his back yard, and later plays with classmates beginning in Kindergarten, and has never stopped. At 18 years old he started his own theatre group, designing and directing several plays at the Academy Theatre in Chatsworth.

 

Directly after attending Art Center College of Design on a scholarship, Jim began working in an art department in Hollywood’s television and film industry and learned his craft on the job, advancing from set dresser to set decorator, then from art director to production designer.

​

In a film and television career that has spanned 4 decades, Jim has had the pleasure of working on many wonderful projects,  several winning prestigious industry awards. These include “Team America: World Police”(“The biggest marionette movie of all time!”), “Muppets Tonight” (2 Emmy nominations and one win for Production Design), “What Dreams May Come” (Oscar nomination, Art Directors Guild “ Excellence in Production Design” win),  “Flatliners”, Soapdish”, “Overboard”, “Star Trek: The Next Generation (Emmy nomination and win for Art Direction), a Cable Ace Award for the TV series, “Fallen Angels” and a Clio award for the TV commercial, “Timex: “Night Skies.”

 

Now happily retired and living in Carmel Valley with his wife Ellen Osborne, an animator, and Remy Martini, their poodle, Jim has begun creating art for his own pleasure, which (not coincidentally) incorporates some combination of puppets, puns, cartoons, magic, illusions, lights, motors and in some cases “Chromadepth" 3-D glasses to achieve his desired effect. He is now working on a proposal for 3-D/Optical Illusion gallery installation.