About Jim

Jim Lawrence grew up in Nova Scotia and was drawn to nature at a young age. He loved being outside in the forest or beside the ocean. Nature fascinated him. Rocks, plants and animals all sparked his curiosity.

In school, Jim loved science, but he also enjoyed practical hands-on subjects like wood and metal working. Although science (environmental chemistry) became his profession, he was never very far from the arts. While studying at Dalhousie University, he took evening courses in painting at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. After graduation, he moved to Ottawa and continued to take courses in painting. He studied with Leonard Gerbrandt and Naz Ashraf (Ottawa School of Art). In recent years, Jim has returned to his love of wood sculpture and has studied with sculptors John Sadler (Ottawa School of Art) and Keith Taylor.

Nature inspires most of Jim's work, whether realistic or abstract. He prefers to challenge the viewer with unusual designs and subject matter. One of the unique features of Jim's wood sculptures is that each piece has its own DNA!

Jim is a member of the National Capital Network of Sculptors (www.sculptureottawa.ca) and has been a member of their board of directors for several years. He has participated in a number of juried group shows with them. (The Canadian National Museum of Nature, The Ottawa City Archives, the Kanata Civic Art Gallery, the Dimensions Sculpture Exhibition and the Shenkman Centre for the Arts.) At the 2012 Dimensions sculpture show, Jim won the jury's choice award for the highest rated sculpture out of close to 70 pieces of art submitted by over 30 sculptors in a variety of media. He is also a member of the Outaouais Wood Carvers Club and has twice won the "best of show" award at their annual progressive competition. He also has won a number of prizes over the past few years at the National Capital Carving Competition including "best of show" at the recent 2013 and 2016 competitions where 70-80 carvers competed entering 175 - 180 pieces. Jim has had pieces accepted for the Figureworks art show in 2011, 2012 and 2013. During the summer of 2013 he exhibited at an outdoor sculpture garden at the Oeno Gallery (www.oenogallery.com), near Bloomfield, Prince Edward County, Ontario. In 2018, Jim worked with bronze sculptor Rosemary Breault-Landry on the creation of a plaque honouring Nichola Goddard, the first Canadian female soldier to be killed in active combat. It was a pleasure to work with master sculptor, Rosemary who did the casting while he selected and assembled the wood (Canadian maple) for the background to resemble the Afghanistan landscape. The plaque will be displayed permanently in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Jim teaches wood sculpture at the Ottawa School of Art and has participated in several instructors shows at the school. He currently exhibits his works at the NAK Gallery in Ottawa, Ontario.

He is available to do commissioned work and contracts.