I wrote a piece a few years back about this artist who had caught my eye through the Instagram account of art magazine Juxtapoz. Here's the original link: 

https://steemit.com/art/@bucho/the-beautiful-and-destructive-art-of-james-jean

Since then, I've made it a point to collect more of his pieces. The first one I bought, "Adrift," mentioned in the above link, was my initial piece, followed up by the second one, "Lapins d'amour." I love both for very different reasons. 

I have always loved art, though I've never really known much about it. I enjoy walks through museums and appreciating certain styles. I know that most contemporary stuff (from 1900-now) is more my thing, though I'm less interested in installation art or supposedly big concepts packaged up in silly executions (like this absurd banana piece from this week's Art Basel in Miami -  https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/06/arts/design/banana-art-basel-miami.html)

I like the cubists, I like most surrealists, and I like anything that looks like it required effort on the part of the artist. This goes the same for the writers I read; while I love experimental fiction, a story shouldn't utilize experimental methods just to be using experimental methods. If they don't serve the story in an important and necessary way, then you've already lost me. You're being gimmicky rather than saying anything worth discussing. 

Which is why I really enjoy James Jean's work. It's often highly detailed and steeped in rich fabulist history or has some much deeper intent behind the piece, even if it's just a nod to an old story of some sort. The painting comes alive and there's a richness to his style that, while sometimes considered cartoonish in nature, still exists in a very vibrant way that tickles my brain in really great ways. 

Here are a few of his pieces that I've picked up over the last year. I've now purchased 10 of his limited edition prints, both from his site when he releases them for 24 hours (usually) or from sellers on eBay when I was able to afford them. 

![03 - Chelone.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmbrQurMJr9yEZxxMmnuXvA4j23ZGrCsnzT4RWUv2kGT6g/03%20-%20Chelone.jpg)
(Chelone)


![04 - Forager.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmVwhmHQEq4bk8jsU2MHECPqGcTH2JKVtXDt2T2CcAZr4T/04%20-%20Forager.jpg)
(Forager)


![05 - Aurelians.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSHrN6xUHoCJX2cDPuBMohDLNtAwP8BXjWBC8Nmn3Fngs/05%20-%20Aurelians.jpg)
(Aurelians)


![06 - Udon II.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmXeE6D55DKuvy9PfW8YgXKYfidrtyM8Ab19ytSxQFEaoS/06%20-%20Udon%20II.jpg)
(Udon II)


![07 - Chang'e.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmYydNynXS5hoD9Sizz3taRcp8KcA7mAgFgHNdBpSSFVcy/07%20-%20Chang'e.jpg)
(Change'e)


![08 - Erhu.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmVoUq3qqYboTzpd5GMRF4RgZQ6usVhyskGV2e5egc1Nsq/08%20-%20Erhu.jpg)
(Erhu)


![09 - Traveler (Dusk Edition).jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmbq9pUUXdLq1eS1ABMxb1G3sCUmZxjEqM5YBn3iGBVequ/09%20-%20Traveler%20(Dusk%20Edition).jpg)
(Traveler - Dusk Edition)


![10 - The Editor.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSiPNkRQ4vHeiBWoqx4P9PCwEUMZPeSUAE7BPZexBuhqH/10%20-%20The%20Editor.jpg)
(The Editor)