I first met James Hendricks in the winter of 1993. He was having a one-man exhibition at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. I had recently graduated with a Bachelor of Art in studio art from Hendrix College, returned to Arkansas after a year abroad and had made a decision to pursue a carrier in art and was doing large scale canvases. When I saw James’ work I was blown away! Here was a fellow Arkansan, who had left his native pond, gone to the cultural metropolis of Boston and had come back on his own terms and with something to share. And share he did. James and I established an instant bond. I was fascinated with the scale and magnitude of his work. Not only did we share a common bond with scale and the logistics of putting a large painting together, but we also shared a sense of the importance of being enveloped by a canvas - to create a world, or in James’s aesthetic – “a universe that you could get lost in.” James’ large canvases and smaller works on paper are gems which the child like mind of wonder can explore: subtle nuances, exploding nebulas, rich textures and soothing and fluid gradations. To stand before one of James’ pieces is to be connected to something greater than oneself and our day-to-day existence. To stand before a James Hendricks painting is to be transported to the Ethereal with a capital E, the spiritual and the sublime.

In 1995 I opened a private art dealership in Arkansas which has now been transformed into a full scale gallery. I have had the pleasure of representing James’ work every step of the way.

James’ work is a funny thing. It’s a lot like any truly original work of art or artist. There is always a reaction in the viewer. One cannot passively look at a James Hendricks painting and say, “Well okay, that’s nice.” Collectors either really love his work, and often have an entire household full or don’t get it and move on. I think the ones who do, are on to a something extraordinary.

Greg Thompson – Executive Director, Greg Thompson Fine Art 5