Soil Microbes developed out of “a combination of a lot of work and frustration,” says Jim. He kept adding colors in an effort to see what would take shape. “I never know what drives these paintings. That’s what makes it so exciting! I never know what will develop in the painting.”
You can see this depiction of the soil environment to understand how Jim came to see the piece this way.
Eventually he added outlines, and the title, Soil Microbes, came to him. Something about the shapes and movement in the piece suggested the microscopic organisms that comprise the soil food web – the essential energy required for healthy plant production. “I’ve always been deeply involved in agriculture and interested in the many elements of the food chain,” Jim says.
That connection to agriculture may have contributed to the appeal this piece had for executives of a large agricultural firm who purchased it for their corporate office in Des Moines, Iowa. What does it evoke in you?
Stop by the Agriculture Exhibit this week at the Scottsdale Gallery to view the vital parts of the food chain!
Soil Microbes 16 x 20 Acrylic by J Klein