Collection: Jim Wodark

Jim Wodark*

Jim Wodark was born in 1958 in Denver, Colorado, and grew up near the Flatirons, where the natural beauty of the landscape played a formative role in his artistic development. Raised by parents who were both artists, Wodark was deeply influenced from an early age by their creative pursuits and by his surrounding environment.

Cartooning was his first artistic passion, and he worked professionally in that field for fifteen years. In 1990, Wodark relocated to California, where he later met his wife, Julie. During this period, he began painting in oils. The birth of their first child, Clint, in 1998 prompted Wodark to pursue painting more fully while serving as a stay-at-home parent. The arrival of their twin daughters, Sophia and Gwen, in 2000 further sharpened his focus and commitment to his practice.

For more than two decades, Wodark has painted daily, achieving significant artistic growth and professional success. He works both en plein air—painting on location from life—and in the studio. Reflecting on his practice, Wodark states: “I want to inspire and be inspired through painting—to bring beauty into people’s lives. I have been blessed with a passion to create, and I am grateful that people respond to my work and that it makes a difference in their homes and businesses. Each day, I look forward to what I will paint next.”

Wodark has received numerous local and national awards, including the Grand Prize at the 7th Annual PleinAir Salon yearlong competition. He is an Artist Member of the California Art Club, a Signature Member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, and a member of both the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society.

*Denotes new artist for 2026