Monica Lynn James

Whidbey Island artist and educator Monica Lynn James combines abstract expressionism with cultural and historic narrative. Her paintings originally evolved from her own family history incorporating research and newspaper archives from the antebellum South. The series Fugitive Monuments attempts to capture a moving tribute to the enslaved people that have been forgotten. Even as she grappled with difficult and tragic subject matter her paintings capture light and hope through vivid color, dynamic shapes and fluid compositions. The series traveled to several exhibits across the United States and the Lowe Gallery in London.

Through her extensive exhibit record, Monica uses her creative voice to educate from the canvas and the classroom. It is her work in education that brought her to the Pacific Northwest to teach visual arts at Edmonds College. James's work has evolved to explore our current relationship to media through light and color. The archives that she pulled from the news transformed into an interest in propaganda and capitalism in her new abstract series. She continues to dedicate her talents to social justice and community outreach.