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Fort Worth Oil and Watercolor Artist – James Tennison Interview
- Give us a high level overview of your business and what people can expect from your business.
- How long have you been in business?
- Who are your current customers?
- What are some of the main reasons you like living/doing business in this area?
- Tell us more about your own story and why you started this business in the first place.
- What have been some of your biggest challenges?
- What are some defining moments that made you grow to the level you are at today?
- Tell us about some interesting/funny/crazy things that have happened within your business.
- If someone is looking to purchase what you offer, what advice can you give to help them make the best buying decision?
I am an artist who paints in oils and watercolors. I divide my time between painting portraits and other paintings on commission and also painting Fort Worth subjects for a local gallery, Galerie Kornye West.
I have been in business for 30 years.
I am currently working on several portrait commissions. My clients currently include the Dean of Harvard Divinity School, the President of the the New York County Bar Association as well as several families for whom I’m painting portraits. I have also recently been commissioned to paint a series of paintings for Texas Christian University.
My wife and I moved to downtown Fort Worth about 3 years ago. My studio is within walking distance of where we live, as is the downtown area. Fort Worth feels very comfortable – not too large and yet with so much to offer.
After graduating from UTA with a Fine Arts degree, I decided I needed further education and attended Art Center College of Design in California. After graduating from there in 1982 my wife and I moved back to this area to begin my career. Many of my illustrations in those early years were for Fort Worth clients, including Shakespeare In The Park posters and advertisements for local companies. With the advent of the computer, the business of illustration began to change and much of the work an illustrator was hired to do was now done on the computer. I was not interested in working on the computer and gravitated toward painting commissioned portraits and gallery paintings.
Making a living as a self-employed artist, especially during hard economic times.
The fantastic education I received at Art Center College of Design certainly was a defining moment of growth. I wouldn’t be where I am now without that. Another defining moment came in 1988. An illustration I did for an article on Phil Walden, the owner of Capricorn Records, in Southern Magazine (now defunct) led to requests for commissioned portraits. A few years ago I met Paula Kornye Tillman which led me into painting for her gallery, which has been the fulfillment of a long time dream to paint what I’m inspired to paint and have a venue for selling it.
Spending an afternoon with Governor Ann Richards after being commissioned to paint her official portrait was an interesting and fun experience. When my sitting with her was finished, I was supposed to get a taxi to the Austin airport but she insisted on giving me a ride. You get a lot of looks when you’re driving around Austin with Ann Richards!
If someone is looking to commission a portrait, I would suggest contacting a portrait agency, such as Portraits Inc. They represent many artists with a wide degree of styles and prices. Or they can just call me. And if someone is looking for fine art to hang on their walls I would recommend visiting Galerie Kornye West in Fort Worth.
James also has a great blog and website where you can see more of his amazing work.
Fort Worth Legacy Arts, Coins and Collectibles
- Give us a high level overview of your business and what people can expect from your business.
- How long have you been in business?
- Who are your current customers?
- What makes your company unique?
- What are some of the main reasons you like living/doing business in this area?
- Tell us more about your own story and why you started this business in the first place.
- What have been some of your biggest challenges?
- What are some defining moments that made you grow to the level you are at today?
- Tell us about some interesting/funny/crazy things that have happened within your business.
- How has your company changed over the past year?
- What kind of trends are you noticing in your industry that might effect our community?
- If someone is looking to purchase what you offer, what advice can you give to help them make the best buying decision?
- What are some of the current events or promotions taking place at your business?
Legacy Arts, Coins & Collectibles was established to create an environment that provides truly unique pieces of art along with the ability to purchase gold, silver, or coins all in one location. Additionally, we give our customers that opportunity to not only invest in art and bullion but also sports memorabilia. All of these types of products will only go up in value for those looking to invest in the future.
Our first business has been in operation for over a year. Our store front has been opened since June of this year.
Currently, because of our wide variety of products, we have customers from 10 years old to 70 years old.
Our company is very unique in the fact that you cannot find all three components in one store. Our business model is truly “outside the box” thinking and that’s a gamble we are willing to take.
We living and doing business in Fort Worth because I was born and raised here. Our art gallery wants to establish and show a “Main Street Arts Festival” year-round. We love the festival and believe that Fort Worth can broaden its’ artist flavor to more diverse types of artwork.
As previously mentioned I was born and raised in Fort Worth and attended Paschal High School. I joined the US Air Force almost immediately after high school and recently retired in 2009. The opportunities that the service provided me along with leadership and the opportunity at higher education planted the seed that I, with hard work, can do almost anything. Opening a business was at the top of the list.
My wife and I started our on-line business, Jason-n-Jada-Collectibles last year on e-Bay, as a form of additional income so she could be a stay at home mom for our 1 year old. We quickly learned a lot in those first few months and then once we got the hang of it, we started to see nice sales returns. To date, our on-line business will exceed over $400K in a year. It was the potential that really made us realize that hard work and taking care of our customers is beneficial to the business.
Fast forward to March of this year and an “out of the blue” phone call from a relative about an art venture is what really catapulted the idea of an art gallery.
The venture with my relative is still on the back-burner but upon looking for an “art gallery” is when I found the perfect location, store, and venue to have all three ventures in one!
Our biggest challenge is letting everyone know were here! I’ve advertised in DFW.com, Fort Worth Weekly, the Movie Tavern on 7th, Fort Worth, Texas Magazine, and on KLIF radio. This doesn’t even include the menus for Paris Coffee shop and Dixie House Café. We’ve also stated in various ads that we are located right next to legendary “Kincaid’s Hamburgers.”
This remains to be seen with the exception of meeting a lot of great people like our artist and those associated with art events and functions.
As mentioned previously, we have meet some very interesting people in the art community.
Ever-changing!
I’ve noticed that more and more people are really being drawn to art work. Art work, I believe, opens the mind and soul and lets you escape whatever ails you, at least for the moment however brief.
With regards to art work, if you are entranced by a piece of art work, then that is the first phase of finding what you connect with. Additionally, when dealing with something that is “pretty or neat,” this should not be the sole factor in purchasing a piece of art work. You should really connect with the art work, not just think it’s pretty…kind of like when you establish a romantic relationship!
We are really excited because we believe that the Fort Worth Art Dealers Association (FWADA) Fall Gallery Night is our true coming out party! We are in the brochure and on the map for this huge event. Also, with regards to thinking “outside the box,” we will have a Crazyfish Sushi, a Sushi food truck on-site. Additionally, we will participate in Musicarte Fort Worth on the 6th of October and the Near Southside Art Goggle on the 13th of October.
Finding local Fort Worth movers
Looking for Fort Worth movers? It is true that moving from one house to another can be a stressful time without a good Fort Worth moving company. The professionals have the experience, equipment and muscle to transfer all your belongings which makes the process much easier and less stressful for you. In this article I will provide you some tips in order for you learn how to find the best moving local company.
If you don’t have any good referrals from family, friends or coworkers then your best bet isto find a mover online. If you know someone who has just moved in then ask them what company they used and what they thought of the service. Word of mouth references are a good to way to find the best movers.
When looking for a good moving company then you should use a company that has a local representative that can come to your home. It is important to point out that an internet or over-the-phone quote can often be unreliable because each person’s inventory of belongings is usually very different.
It is also important to point out that some of the big and well known names may not be the best moving companies and it is true that the lesser known and small companies help to give that personal touch.
Once you have gathered a list of companies from the phone book, internet and simple word-of-mouth then you should call the Better Business Bureau to check that the companies have a good reputation in the local community or if any complaints have been lodged against them.
In order to find the best Fort Worth moving companies being bonded, licensed and insured professionals are essential. You need to remember that these are the people who will be handling your goods so therefore it is vital that they have insurance in case of an accident.
You should try to narrow down your list to 3 companies and then your next step should be to make appointments for each of them to come to your house to look at the contents and provide you with a written estimate. Check the estimate carefully to ensure that you are aware of what is included and what is not.
Finally you should always keep an inventory of your belongings before the moving company drive away. If you follow these tips then finding the best moving company should be much easier for you. If you need a list of local Fort Worth movers click here.