Jimmy Wright's paintings of flowers present, at first view, a vast mélange of color — brilliant reds and oranges, myriad hues and shades of green, blasts of cobalt blue and lavender, twists and turns of burnt sienna and lemon. There's an aliveness that cannot be denied, a depth that encourages, even demands lengthy contemplation. The large oil paintings (some as much as 12 feet wide by 5 feet high) and sensuous pastel drawings of flowers that have become a focus of Jimmy's recent work have to be seen to be fully appreciated and understood.
This series, started in 1989, continues in its fullness as the artist explores the tremendous possibilities of the flower as subject. "Flowers have such a loaded message," Jimmy acknowledges. 
"Part of the challenge is not getting sentimental... These paintings are certainly about my sense of the importance of life, of beauty, of living the moment." And certainly the life in his work cannot be denied. The vibrant colors animated expertly with motion and rhythm carry the viewer through the abundance of each piece. 
Artist and art critic, Jeff Perrone, describes his experience of Jimmy Wright's work: "I start at a distance, and take in the view: a particular arrangement of flowers, a certain harmony of color, a specific tone and mood. And as I get closer I begin to notice local disturbances and then subtle shocks. I need to get in close enough to smell what's going on. What I find might appear as a bright red rectangular flange peeking out from under a tangle of foliage: a metal clasp that fastens together a bursting basket's rim. Or something strange, buried in a dark corner, that slowly emerges: a furry, fuzzy blossom, floating away unmoored from the central bouquet. My eyes may drop to the very bottom of a painting to discover a drooping smudge of olive: a curled up, dead leaf. I often discover the treasure by following the path of some sinuous curve, like the arc of a woven handle..."
Jimmy's use of flowers, both fresh and dried, often brings to mind the work of 
Vincent Van Gogh or Georgia O'Keefe. But Jimmy counts Gauguin and Matisse as his main classical influences. He also admires the pastel techniques of Degas and credits this famed artist as the source of much learning as he began this recent pursuit of the floral still life. "I'm interested in the broken color," he willingly admits, "the metamorphosis of the color, not a flat sheet of color, but patches of yellow, ocher, and violet."
Born in Union City, Tennessee in 1944, Jimmy has been involved with art throughout his life. Formal studies include a BFA in 1967, 
from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and an MFA in 1971, from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL. In early years, his work was featured in group exhibitions across the United States and in Japan and France. Recent years have seen his work featured in solo or group exhibitions an average of 5 to 6 time each year. A recent solo show, "Jimmy Wright: Paintings and Pastels" at the D.C. Moore Gallery in New York, was described by Donna Gustafson in ARTnews as "...energized by 
sumptuous brushwork, dripping washes, and other visual evidence of the artist's hand. ...Richly colored pastels had great presence and visual appeal. Their chalky surfaces coexist with the rough-textured paper from which images emerge and recede, creating physical tensions..."
Although drawing and painting is most of his life, Jimmy has occasionally taken on other responsibilities, most recently serving as Library Assistant at the Payne Whitney Clinic Library from 1988-1994 and as Senior Library Assistant at the Cornell Medical Library since 1994. At Payne Whitney, he coordinated library services during the evening hours, including circulation and information services, overdues, circulation statistics, reserves, ILLs, and binding. Since the Payne Whitney Library closed in 1994, and the collection merged with the Cornell Medical Library, Jimmy has worked in Library Administration, taking on special projects and applying his general library knowledge skills to various areas of the Library as needed. Currently he is working in the serials section, filling gaps in materials being prepared to go to the bindery. He also regularly provides Information Desk coverage during staff meetings.
The future holds much promise for Jimmy Wright, the professional artist. 
This summer, his work was part of "Fresh Cut", a group exhibition at the Lizan Tops Gallery, East Hampton, New York. In the fall, his work will be featured in a show at the Roger Ramsay Gallery in Chicago. He also regularly contributes a piece or two to the Annual Medical Complex Art Show, sponsored by Cornell Medical Library for artists throughout the College and Hospital complex. He continues to work in his studio each day. Although focusing primarily on sunflowers in the past, more recently irises and now poppies have begun to show up in his work. These new areas evidence the still-unexplored realms of flowers that can open up under Jimmy's brush. He describes it, "I've had a revelation about the power of painting I didn't have as a young man. I have a sense of calm now I didn't have before. I've got the gift of life. I realized if I don't do these paintings, no one else will." We all are greatly blessed that Jimmy has received this gift and that he does do these paintings.
