Personal stuff

• Awards:  Over a period of twenty-something years that I have been seriously pursuing art, I have not spent a lot of my time trying to enter competitions and winning prizes. However, I have been fortunate enough to have received around fifty awards for my paintings.  Here are some of the awards:
   

2007   Tallahassee Watercolor Society Tri-State Exhibition, M. Graham Co Award

           Watercolor Society of Alabama National Exhibition,  Award by multiple donors

2006   Tallahassee Watercolor Society Tri-State Exhibition, Florida League of Cities
           Award (Best of Show)

2004   American Watercolor Society International Exhibition, Winsor & Newton Award

2001   American Watercolor Society International Exhibition, Dagmar Tribble Award

          Southern Watercolor Society Exhibition, Leroy Springs Award

2000   Louisiana Watercolor Society International exhibition, Best of Show

          Watercolor Magic magazine, "One of the 25 Best Paintings of 2000"

           Watercolor Society of Alabama National Exhibition, Wiregrass Museum of Art Purchase Award

           The Artist's Magazine, Portrait Painting Competition, 3rd place

1999   Southern Watercolor Society Exhibition, Grumbacher Gold Medal

          Watercolor Society of Alabama National Exhibition, Holbein award

1998   Watercolor Society of Alabama National Exhibition, Purchase Award

Memberships:

Although there are many very fine artists who never become members of any organizations, I chose to pursue membership in several elite  artists organizations in the same way that an educator earns credentials through degrees from prestigious universities. One does not simply pay dues and join these organizations.  One must be chosen by the members of each organization through a process of acceptance in national and international exhibitions.  This is a difficult journey, often taking many years.  It took me seven years of painting and entering international exhibitions, for instance, to be accepted as a member of the American Watercolor Society. The American Watercolor Society only has around 500 members worldwide.  "AWS" means as just much to a watercolor painter as "PHD" does  to an educator.   These are the ones to which I belong:

American Watercolor Society (AWS)

Watercolor Society of Alabama (WSA)

Publications: I had a little spell where I liked to see myself in magazines.  I thought it was a big deal at the time.  Now, it's not so important.  I guess that's why I sort of lost interest. The magazines are using you for free, and you think you are getting something free in the way of publicity.  It's nothing really but an ego trip.  Here are the ones I have been in:

American Artist, Dec., 2001, "Expanding on Light Versus Dark", on the art of James Brantley, by

                         Kathleen Baxter

The Artist's Magazine, Sept., 2001, "Hold the Water", by James Brantley

Inksmith, (A Daniel Smith Artists' Materials publication), 2006, "Watercolor With Drybrush", by

                        James Brantley  Click HERE to view article.

Inksmith, 2003, "Pushing Watercolor to the Limit", by James Brantley     Click HERE to view article.

Inksmith, 2003, "Classic Realism in Transparent Watercolor", by James Brantley   Click HERE to view article.

Public Collections:

The following institutions have paintings by me in their permanent collection:

Auburn University

Wiregrass Museum of Art

Museum of East Alabama

Isabel Anderson Comer Museum

Jemison-Carnegie Heritage Hall Museum

Alabama Wildlife Federation

BE&K Corporation

Leadership Positions:

Member, Board of Trustees, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Birmingham, 2006-

President, Southern watercolor Society, 2002-2004

Treasurer, Southern Watercolor Society, 2000-2002

President, Watercolor Society of Alabama, 1999-2000