About Jim

Above... The various moods of an old bozo with a new website, all in good fun.

Hi, my name is Jim Borton and I'd like to welcome you to my website, KirkPatrickGallery.com. Thanks for stopping by. I hope that you'll take some time to wander through this site and enjoy what I can show you.

I developed this site starting in the early part of 2011 and I need to explain up front that even though I've been kickin' around on this wonderful earth for a while I'm actually very "Young at Art."

                       I'm fairly new at this but growing every day!

I started out sometime in 2003 with a digital camera and the idea that a muliple panel photo might be more interesting than a single panel photo. ( "The Prow" and "W... underwalk II")
I also experimented with printing on different kinds of paper and canvas and doing different kinds of compositions.

I then decided to start making my own mats, bought a mat cutter and developed some techniques for texturing and coloring those mats. I was getting interesting comments... as many for the mats as for the photos. I eventually became interested in just the paper texturing and advanced into abstract works utilizing acrylic paints. One thing lead to another and today I jump back and forth from one form to another. I always have a new piece in the works and am working to develope a body of work that I can present to galleries. I live in Wisconsin and hope to soon have some of my works showing in Madison and Milwaukee.

I have been excepted by www.XanaduGallery.com in Scottsdale, Arizona for showing on their online site under "Studio Artists", find Jim Borton alphabetically and 'click' there.  Please visit the rest of their site and check out some fantastic art by many new and established artists.

Another new twist in my art is the development of this website. I'm doing it myself using Weebly and it seems to be coming along reasonably well although I accidentally deleted this whole page once and had to start it all over. I must say its coming out better than it was, but stay with me please...

                                      My GOAL is to produce works that will look good in your home!

Although I may be "Young at Art", at my age I've been around too many blocks a few too many times. I spent over twenty years working and growing as a professional chef and kitchen manager. Cooking for the public, managing large and small kitchens, and producing buffets and new dishes required a number of artistic and pragmatic talents.

Cooking was my first true experience in producing art for others. The experience of working with food; meats, vegetables, potatoes and starches, spices and seasonings... the whole gammot, was a true long-term learning experience. Preparation is first and foremost, but presentation is what it's truly all about. "Food that doesn't look good won't taste good" was one of the first instructions I received, and practised. Satisfaction was important and immediate because my customers were sitting on the other side of one of those walls!

I was pretty good at it, but after over 20 years it finally occured to me that I wasn't making much of a "living!"  Unfortunately cooking doesn't pay very well, the benefits are negligible and you have to work every Friday and Saturday night and every Sunday brunch forever, and almost every holiday (I used to try to get the 4th of July off every few years).

                              Besides, people kept attacking my stuff with forks and knives and eating it!
                                                                   What's that all about?

Finally I discovered the much more lucrative business of manufacturing and began learning the fine art of 'machine operation'. First I spent 10 years learning and operating a number of machines that make corrugated packaging containers (cardboard boxes, a more complicated process than you might imagine) and now eight+ years operating a machine that makes beautiful and striking steel shelves! (Yawn!)

Machine Operation can be nerve racking... too hot or too cold, fulfilling or aggravating, right or wrong, up or down, interesting or boring, all in one eight hour day, over and over again. It's called 'a job' and by nature of course, it's a lot of work. That's what  'a job' is all about, but finding your way into it without any experience is also a 'learning experience' and that's what life should be all about.

Anyway, what I take away from the experience of learning a new trade I try to apply to my new experiences in creating these pieces. What it all comes down to is that I want to make something that you will enjoy having... be it in your home or office.

I don't know if any of these works will show up in important gallerys or shows, but it's more important to me that they show up in one or more of YOUR places. These works are for you.

Explore and enjoy.

Thanks for visiting KirkPatrickGallery.com