"No brushes required. For me, the palette knife is an ideal tool and I enjoy the sensation of applying thick buttery paints to the canvas. Painting with the knife, one can achieve the suggestion of movement and the changing of light by adding textures which can be thin or ridged. Using a knife in this way allows the paint to stand out and encourages a lively and impressionistic treatment, providing an exciting contrast of scale which adds greatly to the impact of the finished painting." - James Pratt

Born in Wellington New Zealand, James moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980’s. Now a proud American citizen, he resides just outside of Charleston, South Carolina when not spending time at his home in Southern France enjoying his time in the villages, marketplaces, seaports and cafes throughout Europe. This is where he carefully composes scenes through the lens of his camera, and then renders the moods in pencil, or watercolor.  Upon returning to his studio in France or Charleston, he then puts paint with a palette knife to canvas.

James was a featured artist on the Princess Cruise Lines, traveling around the world showcasing his talent. Besides creating his paintings from his studio in the low country of Charleston, he gives private one-on-one instruction and student classes. A prominent fine art collector wrote: “(James') work is very full of life and color and causes the viewer to feel inspired to want to travel and have this kind of an experience. If not actually travel, then to enjoy that special adventure, vicariously, through the paintings that he has created.”