paintings.
murals.
about.
As a Jersey Shore native, Brittany James began painting at Riverview Art School in Island Heights as a child. She graduated from Montclair State University with a BFA degree concentrated in oil painting in 2009. Her paintings are of surreal images, depicting women’s rights and the relationships between women in nature and society.
One of Brittany’s more recent series of paintings, “Women’s Work” focuses on gender stereotypes, inequality, objectification and oppression of women. Her paintings are often inspired by dreams, poetry, and words. Brittany’s latest body of work was inspired by Glennon Doyle’s book Untamed, a memoir that seeks to liberate women from the societal expectations that bind them. She was also inspired by author Jeanette Winterson’s writings about the balance between the wild and the tame.
Brittany often paints bright, whimsical portraits of women surrounded by flowers, but with underlying themes of darkness. She likes to include contrasting imagery that is a mix of delicacy and harshness. She sometimes creates a break in the reality of the painting by using abstract drips of turpentine in the background to give the image a dreamlike quality.
In addition to painting, Brittany teaches art classes for children and teens at Inspired Minds Fine Art School in Lincroft. She also teaches painting and life drawing classes for adults at art629 Gallery in Asbury Park and curates local art exhibitions. She has painted live on stage at the State Theater in New Brunswick, The Vogel in Red Bank, and the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park, and was part of a performance art piece during the Summer of Love concert at Count Basie Theater in Red Bank. She also does live paintings for weddings and events. She has been a muralist and featured artist for the Asbury Underground Art & Music Crawl and the Asbury Park City Mural Project, and has shown her work in several galleries in the New York tri-state area.
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Brittany says, “The healing therapy of art- making and self-expression has been very important to me throughout my life, and is something I continue to share with others through painting. I could not be who I am today without the ability and freedom to channel my thoughts onto a canvas. Whether it be through creating or teaching, I want to continue to make an impact on others lives through art. That makes me feel like I am doing my job as an artist.”
Exhibition History.
2024 "Realism vs. The Abstract" Group Exhibition at BWAC, Brooklyn, NY
2024 "Floral Muse" Group Exhibition at art629 Gallery ,Asbury Park
2023 "Reinvention" Group Exhibition at The Long Branch Arts and Cultural Center, Long Branch, NJ
2023 "The Feminine Mystique" solo exhibition at The Oyster Point, Red Bank, NJ
2023 "Out of the Park" group exhibition at Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, NJ
2022 "Pride", Group Exhibition at art629 Gallery Asbury Park, NJ
2021 Holiday Group Exhibition at Over The Moon Studio, Asbury Park, NJ
2021 "Studio Survey", Group Exhibition at Warburton Galerie, Yonkers, NY
2021 "Little Things", Group Exhibition at art629 Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ
2021 "Home", Group Exhibition at art629 Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ
2021 "Peace in the Chaos", Group Exhibition at art629 Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ
2020 "Women's Work", Group Exhibition at art629 Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ
2019 "Arts Fest 2019", Group Exhibition at Broadway Gallery, South Amboy, NJ
2019 "Transcendent Impressions", Group Exhibition at Alfa Art Gallery, New Brunswick, NJ
2019 "Moon Phases", Solo Exhibition at Wild Eye, Red Bank, NJ
2018 "Portraits", Group Exhibition at art629 Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ
2018 "Shore Enough", Group Exhibition at Local Vision Fine Art Gallery, Red Bank, NJ
2018 “Spring Fever”, Group Exhibition at Local Vision Fine Art Gallery, Red Bank, NJ
2018 "Escapism", Solo Exhibition at Belmar Arts Center, Belmar, NJ
2017 "Metamorphosis", Art629 Exhibit with Patrick Schiavino, Asbury Park, NJ
2016 "Return of Saturn", Solo Exhibition at Concrete Gallery, Red Bank NJ
2016 "The Locals", Group Exhibition at art629 Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ
2015 Spring Group Exhibition, Torche Gallery, Belmar, NJ
2014 "The Locals", Group Exhibition at art629 Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ
2014 Fall Group Exhibition, Torche Gallery, Belmar, NJ
2013 Summer Group Exhibition, Torche Gallery, Belmar, NJ
2011 "27: A Musical Art Show", Solo Exhibition at CoWerks Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ
2009 BFA Group Exhibition, George Segal Gallery, Montclair, NJ
2008 Solo Exhibition, "Something Pretty" Gallery 3.0, Montclair, NJ
Awards and Experience.
- Featured Artist for the Sea Hear Now Festival, Asbury Park, NJ 2023
-Monmouth Arts Education Award for Outstanding Educator in Visual Arts-2022
-Muralist for the City of Asbury Park Mural Project, 2021
- Gallerist/Curator at art629 Gallery, Asbury Park NJ 2018-Present
- Painting & Life Drawing Instructor at Art629 Gallery, Asbury Park, NJ 2014- Present
- Art Instructor at Inspired Minds Fine Art School, Lincroft & Brielle NJ, 2012- Present
- Muralist and featured artist for the Asbury Underground Art and Music Crawl 2016-2019
- Private School Art Teacher at WeExcel LLC, Toms River NJ, 2010-2012
- Art Teacher at West Hudson Council for the Arts, Kearney NJ, 2008-2009
- Manager of Galeria Classica, Spring Lake NJ, 2008-2010
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Press.
-TRI-CITY NEWS, June 2023, “Nailing The Story of Asbury Park’s Cultural Rise” by Dan Jacobson
MONMOUTH ARTS, Feb 2021, "Creative Connections Persist at Asbury Park's art629"
INDUSTRY MAGAZINE, Feb 2019, "The Seeker" by Laura D.C. Kolnoski
ASBURY PARK SUN, Sept 2017, "Metamorphosis Opens at art629: Retrospective of Patrick Schiavino & Brittany James Work", by Michelle Gladden
ASBURY PARK PRESS, Oct 2016, "Artist displays introspective dream visions in Red Bank" by Billy Anania
RED BANK GREEN, Oct 2016, "Saturn Rising at Salon Show"
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