James Lancel McElhinney is an Irish-American visual artist and author who holds degrees from Tyler School of Art (BFA) and Yale University (MFA). His earlier works explored Civil War battlefields as a metaphor for how American landscapes are shaped by conflict. McElhinney has since revived the historic practice of expeditionary journal-painting  to explore the physical memories of human endeavor. James and his wife; cultural historian/biographer Katherine Manthorne, reside in the Champlain Valley and Manhattan with a feline named Maeve.

 

“I have come to regard making art as a necessity—as a way of transforming the terror and mayhem of human existence into experiences that inspire and sustain us. Creative activity can transform our encounters with nature into knowledge and ideas, in ways that enhance environmental awareness, lead to self-discovery, foster inner peace, and deepen our respect for one another, and the world we all share.”

—James L. McElhinney © 2024