HOLMES BEACH – Island Gallery West’s Featured Artist for the month of October made an appearance at the gallery on Oct. 8. Jim Wheeler has been a photographer since the age of 16, and is a longtime painter of acrylics. These skills combine in “Feathers,” an exhibit of Wheeler’s work featuring photographs that have been digitally and/or manually enhanced with the addition of acrylic over-painting for a unique “painterly” look.
“I use a multi-step process to get the effect I’m looking for. I’m shooting for an impressionist look,” said Wheeler, speaking about how he gets the unique look that presents more as a painting than a photograph after the unique process is complete.
Wheeler chose the “Feathers” theme because of his love for birds of all kinds. Bird pictures have always dominated his body of work and he finds them to be a big part of the beauty of nature. He’s had a Timneh Grey Parrot who has been his companion since 1990 and has spent many hours on long bicycle rides with Wheeler, who has been a bicycle-ride leader, president and general board member with the Sarasota Manatee Bicycle Club for the past 15 years.
“I’ve always loved birds, but I didn’t realize that the bulk of my work was of birds until my wife pointed it out,” said Wheeler. “First off, my parrot is my real buddy. He sits on my shoulder and we go for walks and find birds. Living here, there are so many. I’ve been all over the world but I found that people in Florida, especially tourists from out of town don’t come here to buy artworks of African animals. They want native wildlife, so I tend to stick to that.”
Jim Wheeler has had photographs published nationally on multiple occasions, served as a judge for the Cleveland Photographic Society and worked as the award-winning chief editor for a national business magazine, among other career achievements.
Island West Gallery is located at 5368 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach, Trolley Stop 15, on Anna Maria Island. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Visit www.islandgallerywest.com or call 941-778-6648 for updates about the art and 28 member-artists of the gallery. Masks are encouraged. Hand sanitizer is available.