About The Artist


The Awakening

In 1992 the Calhouns took a 17-day vacation to Glacier National Park, Montana. While on that trip, Jim was inspired by the beauty of the mountains and streams of the west. An unplanned visit to the home and studio of Charles M. Russell (Great Falls, MT) surprised Jim. He points to that day as the impetus to purchase his first canvases and paints, as well as fly rods and reels. Other artists that have influenced Jim are: Monet, Sargent, Vuillard, and Homer.


Adding Life to Life

Jim started long-distance running shortly before his 43rd birthday in the fall of 1996. Just steps from his back door is a scenic trail that meanders along the Des Moines River.

“Even before I’m out of town, the serenity is enthralling… blue-sky…birds…the play of sunlight on trees and water. The great Artist delights all my senses. The time (and I’m a very slow runner) is a complete spirit, soul and body refreshing”.

Respect and Appreciation for Life

“My first love in life is my relationship with Jesus Christ. He has made life full and meaningful in every way.”

Jim lives in Des Moines, Iowa with his wife, Sue. They have two adult children, Josh and Meredith. Sue is gifted in the culinary arts. She is known for the blue ribbons she wins at the Iowa State Fair cooking competitions.

Combining their passions for food and art, Jim and Sue selected Italy to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary September 22 – October 4, 2002.

“We read Irving Stone’s “The Agony and the Ecstasy” before we went on the trip. It has become one of my favorite books. We noted all the locations of Michelangelo’s sculptures and enjoyed making them, and the Sistine Chapel, focal points of our time in Florence and Rome.”

Jim visited Syria and Jordan in January 2006.

“I wasn’t prepared for the kindness and hospitality of the Syrian people. I returned home wanting to spend more time painting the images of this inspiring part of the world.”

“Beirut is a beautiful city. I ran the Beirut Marathon Dec 3, 2006. The theme for the marathon was…’For the Love of Lebanon’. It was 42 kilometers of praying for peace; and imagining, ‘What if....there had never been war here?’”

Jim  moved to Damascus, Syria August 2006 and painted there through 2008. Presently Jim is living, loving and painting on Malta.

“The Mediterranean light is brilliant. The sea and skies are remarkably blue! It is a dramatic contrast from the two years I was living in the Syrian desert. Blue and green were virtually non-existent on the palette there. The landscapes were a tan-beige of rock and earth. The warmth of the Syrian people led me to paint more portraits during my time in Syria.”