James Owens - USA

Born and raised in Detroit MI, America’s rich history of the automobile runs deep in his family.Half his family worked in the auto industry. Both his grandfathers worked in the industry. On his mother’s side, his grandfather went to work for Ford Motor Company in the 1920’s.

His father retired from Ford, my brother designs for General Motors and my cousins are employed by the big three. Jim earned his BFA in 1986 from The College for Creative Studies in Detroit MI. For nearly two decades he worked with some of the biggest ad agencies in the world creating story boards and finished illustrations for Ford, Chrysler, General Motors as well as AAA, Philips Electronics, Dupont, Home and Gardens Television and Dreamworks. 

The paint has been flowing out of James studio non-stop!  Earlier this year James his first solo show "Savage Beauty" at Gasoline gallery in El Segundo California. The show included a combination of pulp fiction cover style noir paintings and classic 40s style pin up paintings. Turned out to be a really bitchin' show. His models included celebrities Traci Lords (Cry Baby, Zack and Miri Make a Porno) Paul Dooley (Breaking Away, Sixteen Candles, Hairspray) and Ross McCall (Band of Brothers, Crash).

James always stay busy working on the recurring article in Ol' Skool Rodz called "Rodz Noir". Every issue I help write the story and do an illustration of part of the story. Currently showing in the group show "California Screamin 5" where I have a painting - carving collaboration with Australian carver Marcus Thorn. Was also one of the invited artists in the  M Modern show called "A Broken Promise of the Flying Car" that took place in Palm Springs. With these things on top of his commission works he hasn't come up for air in quite a while.