James Lautenschlager

Biography

My story is very basic and simple. 5 years ago I went to an art class, just a very casual one of 10 people. I was the only man and everyone else knew each other. It was a weekly thing and was really a hen party with some art on the side. But, through that I discovered I had a gift although very crude then. Over the next couple of years I developed on my own as that class folded. I met another proper art teacher (Loren Somerville from The Art Hub in Harthill)  and went to a few of her classes and she still mentors me when I am doing a commission. I work in graphite, pastel and acrylic. I have exhibited and sold in some minor exhibitions locally but by word of mouth do mostly commission portrait work of animals and people although I was commissioned to draw a warship a few years ago and a landscape. I don’t have a website or social media. Only word of mouth. It is a hobby as I have my own Maintenance business trading in the Chester area as “The Handy Hubby”. I am hoping to retire from that and paint full time.

In a nutshell that is it. I am 76 years old, Canadian and have been living here for 24 years with my British wife of 35 years. We live in Burwardsley.