JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN - LIMITED EDITIONS

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
All the World's a Stage

Kings, queens, knaves and clowns...your favorite Shakespearean characters come to life! The Bard and more than 50 of his dramatis personae take a bow in this remarkable tribute to Shakespeare's entire canon - 38 plays, including the obscure Two Noble Kinsmen. With the Old Globe Theatre as backdrop, Christensen assembled an eclectic cast of fictional characters and actors in rehearsal mingling with a few thespians who never trod the boards (but might have flittered above them). You'll find Romeo proffering a rose to Juliet, who rebuffs the salacious overtures of Henry VIII. Viola of Twelfth Night is in the act of binding her breasts to fill the manly role of Cesario, while beside her other Shakespearean heroines don male apparel to play their virile counterparts - all the more interesting when you consider that in Shakespeare's day men played all the female roles. Caesar is a self-portrait - an opportunity for the artist to make a statement about backstabbing (he doesn't like it!) and revel in applause (notice Titus Andronicus giving him a warm hand). All humor aside.Christensen's prodigious knowledge of Shakespeare manifests in this work offering multiple layers of meaning and countless discoveries. "All the World's a Stage" was commissioned by the Utah Shakespearean Festival - winner of a Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre.

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Angel with Epaulet

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Angels of My Village

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
The Annunciation

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Balancing Act

Life is a balance between fun and work, spiritual qualities, education, and nutrition. Our lives are continuous balancing acts. I just didn't know how I could balance another thing in my life.

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
The Bassoonist

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
The Beggar Princess and the Magic Rose

The Beggar Princess and the Magic Rose exemplifies what artist James Christensen feels is ". so great about art: the viewer can contribute to the magic by making up their own story." While the trappings of the tale are well-worn, the tale of the beggar princess itself is yet unwritten. How long has she walked these castle paths? Is the bloom of the rose tied somehow to her freedom? Is she even trapped? Both the history and the fate of the young beggar princess lie in the imagination of the beholder. The Beggar Princess and the Magic Rose offers us the ultimate fairy-tale opportunity: to ride to the rescue and save the princess.

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Benediction

"I have always used the floating fish to symbolize the presence of life's magic," says Jim Christensen. "Occasionally, I've wondered whether these little guys are bringing the magic with them or are the result of it. Who is the recipient of the benediction? Is the angel blessing the fish, or in another way, is the fish blessing the angel.blessing her by its presence? The Latin on the ring, Beatus Est Pisciculus, says Blessed is the little Fish. Regardless of which came first, the angle or the fish, its important to stop and take the time to be thankful for the magic in our lives."

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Benediction

The Latin beatus est pisciculus means "blessed are the little fish." In The Art of Imagination (see pages 32 and 34) Christensen explains, "The fish is a symbol I use over and over, and this image is a thank-you for the magic in our lives."

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
The Blind Leading the Blind

The Parable of the Blind is one of the best-known sections from Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount. It reads: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?" Jesus used the metaphor of the blind men to suggest to his followers that they examine their own hearts and souls before calling attention to the flaws of others. James Christensen has taken the parable in a new, more light-hearted direction in The Blind Leading the Blind.

Christensen sees his blind men as archetypal figures, embodying the different ways people deal with difficult situations. All four men are lost, but their expressions reveal their attitudes: one man is unhappy, one is content with his lot, one man is confused and one has tumbled into the pit entirely. The Blind Leading the Blind is a whimsical reminder to remain humble-and to give others the benefit of the doubt.

See his video: Artist James C. Christensen on: The Blind Leading the Blind

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
The Bride

Master storyteller JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN's "The Bride" is a beautifully detailed homage to the traditions and folklore of the wedding day.The stage for this joyous vision in a pastel palate is set in a Christensen fantasy world, as we join a maiden and her unusual wedding party sailing into destiny. Richly layered nuptial symbolism awaits your discovery: something old (the ruins in the background), something new (the egg on the pillow), something borrowed (a tan girl from baroque artist Diego Velázquez), something blue (the flowing ribbon in the bride's hair, a symbol of purity from ancient Israel).That's only the beginning! Much like the art of marriage itself, Christensen's "The Bride" promises years of unfolding pleasures.

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Burden of the Responsible Man

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
The Candleman

If you wander through the cobblestone streets at night, you can feel secure in the circle of light cast by "The Candleman." Here, the children, wide-eyed and wondering, will be safe though it's late and they're far from home. The trusty Candleman will escort them through the still silence of the snow covered streets by the light of his torch and his hat abrim with burning candles. In JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN's marvelous world "just a little left of reality," The Candleman, like a friendly crossing guard you may remember from your school days, keeps a loving and watchful eye on everyone in his care.

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Cecelia

From the boundless imagination of artist JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN, this angel will grace any setting with a sense of delicacy and wonder. This stunning, decorative piece, explores the texture, surface and richness of paint - and just happens to be named for the artist's newest grandchild, Cecilia. It follows in the footsteps of "Saint with White Sleeves," "Isabella" and "Sleeper, Lost in Dreams." And what's particularly special about Cecilia is her exquisite gold enhancement. The MasterWorkT canvas edition is hand-enhanced with 23-karat gold leaf and the limited edition is foil-enhanced to replicate the radiant detail of the original.

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
A Christensen Character Cleverly Camouflaged
in a Doolittle Landscape

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
The College of Magical Knowledge

It's a good place for retreat and contemplation.  Characters from all realms come to this place to develop. There are the bird hunters, the fishwalker, a butterfly fisherman, the pear balancer, and other Fellowes of the College. This is the navel of what happens in the "Land a Little to the Left of Reality".

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JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Conversation Around Fish - poster

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Court of the Fairies

This image is the highlight of Christensen's "Voyage of the Basset" book.

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Courtship

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Dusk

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
The Enoch Altarpiece

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Even as He Stopped Wobbling,
Wendel Realized He Had a Dilemma

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Evening Angels

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Faery Tales

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Faith, Hope and Charity

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
False Magic

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Fantasies of the Sea

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Finding Fish

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Fiona

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Fish Smuggler

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Fishing

"Fishing" was created to poke fun at the human tendency to return to the same fishing grounds again and again.

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Flight of the Fablemaker

Includes above
limited edition
plus hand-tinted
The Scrivener's Muse at left

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Garden Rendezvous

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Gerome Spent his Free Time
Daydreaming of Becoming Reincarnated as a Snake

Christensen observes, "We are shaped by our daydreams, desires and wishes."

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Gethsemane

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Getting it Right

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Gifts for Mrs. Claus

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
The Great Garibaldi

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Hold to the the Rod, the Iron Rod

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Icarus Bound

This Everyman seems shackled , but look - a key lies within his reach. Keys hide within us all. Will we find them to unlock ourselves and unfurl our "wings of potential?" And once aloft will we, like Icarus, fly recklessly . . . or with caution?

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
If Pigs Could Fly

There are oodles of adages associated with "when pig fly": events extremely unlikely to occur or just plain nonsensical.  In the world of artist James C. Christensen, a flying pig might seem perfectly commonplace.  But the hunchback holding a candle in If Pigs Could Fly is oblivious to his winged counterpart.  In Christensen's art, the hunchback represents the imperfect "everyman" and the candle he carries signifies his wisdom and faith (or the faith in his wisdom, as the case may be).  Our hero forges onward, walking ahead, not expecting the unexpected, nor noticing what's happening just over his shoulder.   If Pigs Could Fly reminds us that anything and everything is possible and not to eliminate any possibility.

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Isabella

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Jonah

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Lawrence Pretended Not to Notice
That a Bear Had Become Attached to his Coattail

"This is one of those paintings that most people can relate to," says James C. Christensen, "although often for a different reason than you may expect. I think everyone occasionally ignores problems in the hope that they will fade away, but that's not the only interpretation for the image. When wildlife painter Bonnie Marris saw this painting she cried, 'That poor bear! This is the third guy he's gotten attached to this week and this isn't even his neighborhood! Did you ever think about that?'

"Personal experience has a major influence on people's interpretation of the painting's message. When I gave a talk to third graders about trusting their ideas, I asked them what they thought Lawrence . was about. One little girl said, 'You shouldn't take pets home without asking your mom.'"

This classic Christensen image, a perennial collectors' favorite, is now available for the first time as a Fine Art Limited Edition Giclée Canvas.

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
A Lawyer More than Adequately Attired in Fine Print

This print inspires closer examination . . . this stout attorney is adorned with lots of legal mischief. Just some of the touches: his assistant gives him enough rope to hang himself (or his clients!), he has an ample supply of loopholes sewn onto his coat, he is covered in that infamous fine print we all ignore--and much more.

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
Levi Levitates the Stone Fish

JAMES C. CHRISTENSEN
The Listener