Jim Jennings

Born in El Paso, Texas in 1957, Jim’s connection to the southwestern landscape is innate. With his evocative paintings, he hopes to share with the world what he sees and feels of this land.

JIM JENNINGS: Master of the Southwestern Landscape and Plein Air Painting
“I enjoy the challenge of expressing this world with the limited tools of canvas and paint. I try to paint directly and simply because I just like the look of a simple brush stroke of color. I find it to be the best way to emulate Nature.”

Born in El Paso, Texas in 1957, Jim Jennings possesses an innate, lifelong connection to the rugged beauty of the American Southwest. Today, he is celebrated as a premier Santa Fe plein air artist, known for his evocative contemporary landscape oil paintings and breathtakingly vibrant depictions of iconic New Mexico flora, particularly his highly sought-after hollyhock series.

From Art Director to Fine Art Painter
Jennings’ path to becoming a full-time fine artist is grounded in both discipline and diverse life experiences. Raised in the suburbs of Dallas, he served a stint as a U.S. Marine before pursuing his formal creative education, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of North Texas in 1987.

Following graduation, he built a highly successful career as a graphic artist and art director across Texas and Colorado. However, the sweeping vistas and unique, luminous light of Northern New Mexico continually called to him. In 1997, his deep passion for fine art led him to relocate to Santa Fe, where he shifted his focus entirely to original oil painting.

A Meditative Approach to the Canvas
For Jennings, painting is far more than a visual exercise; it is both a discipline and a meditation. Through his dedicated practice of plein air oil painting—studying directly under the open sky—he captures the underlying heartbeat of the natural world.

Collectors of Southwestern fine art are drawn to his masterful, impressionistic brushwork. Whether he is capturing the quiet majesty of a Rio Grande clearing, the dramatic shadows of mountain skies, or the towering, colorful stalks of traditional New Mexico hollyhocks, Jennings favors a direct and simple application of color. This deliberate, unpretentious technique results in evocative nature paintings that feel deeply authentic, allowing viewers to step away from a harried life and feel the quiet rhythms of the earth.

Exhibitions and Collectibility
Jim has continued to hone his craft through specialized workshops with renowned artists like Barry McCuan, Bill Gallen, Lincoln Fox, and Kevin Sears. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions across New Mexico, from contemporary art showcases at Lena Street Lofts to intimate two-person shows.

Today, Jim lives and paints full-time in the historic art hub of Santa Fe alongside his wife, Gaia, and their dog, Maggie. His highly collectible original landscape paintings are proudly held in private collections around the world.

Discover the serene, masterfully crafted artwork of Jim Jennings, proudly represented by Acosta Strong Fine Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

“I enjoy the challenge of expressing this world with the limited tools of canvas and paint. I try to paint directly and simply because I just like the look of a simple brush stroke of color. I find it to be the best way to emulate Nature, which is …despite it’s seeming complexity … in of itself, simple and direct. When applied with feeling, there is a beauty in that daub of paint that is beyond anything I could hope to invent.”

“Painting is also a discipline and a meditation. It’s a time to observe, inside and out. It’s a time to take a deep breath and feel the underlying quiet heartbeat that drives this harried life. It’s at these still moments that I can enter into a different place and feel the rhythms, flows, and movements of a deeper nature.”

Jim lives in Santa Fe with his wife Gaia, and their dog Maggie, where he enjoys living and painting full time. Jim’s paintings are included in private collections around the world.