The subject, focus and style of my art has taken many twists and turns throughout the years, but my love for painting on location outdoors is something that has steadfastly been a part of me since I received my first paint set during my grade school years.

     While studying art at SDSU part of the course was to keep sketchbooks and work outdoors. After college I was drafted into the army and assigned through army wide competition to the U.S. Army's Vietnam Combat Art Program. As a participant of this program I sketched on location in the fields of war torn Vietnam to bring a soldier artist's perspective of the war to the U.S. Army Center of Military History's permanent war art collection.

 Since those days my outdoors subject matter has been more peaceful. On location, I prefer landscapes and pay particular attention to atmospheric conditions which I try to emphasize and at times exaggerate. I work small, and watercolors are my favorite media. They allow me to respond to quickly and continually changing conditions encountered outdoors. I strive to simplify and eliminate details in order to portray the subject before me in its most basic and gestural form. I do not try to impart a  literal interpretation of a scene, but seek to create an emotional impression from the spirit of the moment.

     No matter where I find myself sketching or painting, there is something about working on location that helps me connect with the subject and gives me fulfillment as an artist. Nature is truly a great teacher and every time I go outdoors to sketch or paint I am humbled by what is in front of me and how inadequate putting my marks on a piece of paper are compared to the natural beauty that surrounds me.  

    Jim Pollock was born and raised on the Great Plains of South Dakota. His home town, Pollock, was named after his great-grandfather. Following graduation from South Dakota State University with a major in art, Pollock was drafted into the U.S. Army. While in the army he was chosen from army-wide competition for assignment to the U.S. Army's Vietnam Combat Artist Program. Art completed during his assignment to five man Combat Artist Team IV are in the permanent U.S. Army Center of Military History War Art Collection in Washington, D.C.

    Pollock has exhibited in many group and one person shows and his work can be found in private, public and corporate collections throughout the U.S. He has served on the South Dakota Arts Council and was named South Dakota Artist of the Year by the South Dakota Hall of Fame the first year the award was given. His art and illustrations have appeared in books and magazines such as THE DAKOTA FARMER, SOUTH DAKOTA MAGAZINE and the SOUTH DAKOTA CONSERVATION DIGEST.

    In 1984 the South Dakota Library Association with a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the South Dakota Committee on the Humanities commissioned Pollock to produce 5 posters as a statewide pre-centennial library program to help celebrate South Dakota's centennial in 1989.

    Jim enjoys sketching and painting from nature and participates in South Dakota Plein Air Artists (SDPAA) events whenever possible. On his web site he has posted many of his plein air sketches and paintings including several complete and unedited sketchbooks.

    Jim Pollock is a founding member of Artists of the Black Hills and currently lives in Pierre, SD with his wife Betsy.