Coming Up for Air: The Why

Did I ever tell you why I started the series Coming up for Air?

My series ‘Coming up for Air’, marks the time between my former life and my current one as an artist. When I left my career, there was a long moment between deciding to, and leaving. It was glorious knowing a new world was coming but I was unsure of what that actually meant. I simply knew that it felt like I could finally breathe.

Surfacing in Black was my first water painting and the beginning of my series 'Coming up for Air'. This piece was a breakthrough in every way.

That sensation, the liminal space between letting go and moving forward, is always the moment in ‘Coming Up for Air’. I return to the idea over and over, painting moments of suspension and relief.

She, Bright as Yellow, APJ 18x18 Oil on Cradled Panel

‘She Moves in Blue’ is the newest in the series. Oh, how I loved painting this. The surface light felt soft, highlighting that idea of being held in water. The blue-on-blue palette creates subtle movement, reminding me just because something seems still doesn’t mean the current isn’t moving."

She Moves in Blue, 36x36 Oil on Canvas ‘She Moves in Blue’ is the newest in the series. The surface light feels soft, highlighting that idea of being held in water. The blue-on-blue palette creates subtle movement, reminding me just because something seems still doesn’t mean the current isn’t moving."

In December I sent ‘She Moves in Blue’ to California to be in my first museum show. NAWA (National Association of Women Artist) curated an exhibition with the Sasse Museum of Art in California. It was a perfect time to spend a few days in the sunshine, and so Brad and I went to see the show and visit friends in LA.

Artist Highlight: Anne Pollard JamesPacific Influence at the Sasse Museum of Art in Pomona, CA She Moves in Blue | 36 x 36

It was a total thrill to have this painting in my first museum show. It felt like a giant moment. I am happy to say that my painting sold, she received an award, and will live in the world a little bit longer because she was used as the cover art for an incredible literary journal called Painted Bride Quarterly.

It gives me incredible joy to be featured on the cover of Painted Bride Quarterly. Check out this gorgeous literary journal. link on photo

Painted Bride Quarterly (PBQ) is a prominent literary magazine based in Philadelphia. Established in 1973, it is one of the longest-running literary publications in the United States. PBQ publishes a diverse range of literary works, including poetry, fiction, essays, and reviews, both online quarterly and in an annual print edition.

Publication FormatThe magazine operates in a hybrid format, allowing for both immediacy and permanence, making it accessible to a broad audience. It aims to serve as a community-based, independent, non-profit literary forum.

Editorial Staff PBQ has a dual-city editorial team based in Philadelphia and New York, reflecting its commitment to a diverse literary community.

I love being included in such brilliant company! What a way to end what has turned out to be a spectacular month.