Jim Lewis was born in Sandy Hook, Kentucky where he still lives. He is married to Beverly Hay Lewis, and they have two grown children. Lewis worked as a heavy equipment operator. He started carving on and off several years ago, and then when he was laid off, he started making art full-time. Friendly with Garland and Minnie Adkins for many years, their work inspired him to try it for himself. When the company called him back to work he didn’t go. He carves and paints colorful fish to sit on a table or hang on a wall, birds, forest animals, and a few fantasy creatures. One of his images is Jonah looking very uncomfortable. His Noah’s Ark creations are large and colorful. He also carves canes. Lewis uses basswood and poplar. He roughs out the shapes with a band saw, and then finishes carving with a knife. He uses acrylic paints and finishes with a coat of polyurethane. All of Jim’s carvings are carved from bass wood, except the canes which are made from maple wood. The fins on the fish are made from metal.
Jim’s work has been displayed nationally & internationally, in galleries such as:
Morehead Folkart Center
Kentucky Art and Craft Foundation
Folkart Society of America
Folkart Gallery Of Cleveland Ohio
Museum of American Folk Art
The Owensboro Museum of Fine Art