Jimmy Craig Womble II, Oil Painter.

 

I am an oil painter living on the coast of North Carolina. I paint that which has usually been overlooked by many as old, run down, or without value. Abandoned houses, old barns, rusty vehicles, and the detritus of a once thriving farming and fishing region find their way into many of my works. They tell a story of the south that I could never put into words. The rust and decay is a physical reminder of the passage of time, and speaks of those who have struggled to make a life in this part of the country. 

But I have my own selfish reasons as well for painting what I do. I find a certain beauty in the peeling paint and rust of forgotten things. The light falling over these old objects and places has an intensity and sparkle that is endlessly fascinating to me. There will always be new things, but how long will I continue to be able to paint  those reminders of what used to be? Both man and nature conspire against them, so I hoard their images in pads and on canvas.