James Gandy is an oil painter and wood sculptor who maintains a studio in a large industrial warehouse on Union Street. His work will be appearing in Art After Dark on April 25.
HOW LONG HAS HE USED THESE MEDIUMS?
“I’ve been painting for 15 years and woodworking for maybe 10. I like wood. It’s a nice, natural medium.”
WHAT KIND OF WOOD SCULPTURES DOES HE CREATE?
Lamps, tables, cabinets, entertainment centers and desks. He produces functional wooden sculptures for residential and commercial markets. “I started doing little things like lamps and it grew to larger pieces like cabinetry. I’m going to scale back to smaller pieces.”
HOW DOES HE INFUSE ARTISTIC FLAIR INTO HOME DECOR CREATIONS?
“Proportions are really important or else it won’t look good when it’s finished. The choice of wood and simplicity is important, too. All the pieces slide together. There are no nails or screws. The whole thing can be taken apart. It’s a puzzle in a way. That’s the old woodworking technique.”
HOW DID HE GET INTO
THE FIELD?
“My dad and some friends had a shop so I was always around it. I learned the trade from my father. That’s how I really got started. You pick up more as you go along. There’s a lot of geometry and math involved in woodworking. I use that specific geometry in my paintings as well.”
WHAT IS YOUR
PARTICULAR STYLE?
“My art is heavily influenced by Eastern philosophy. I traveled to India and Japan doing research on woodworking and got my inspiration. A lot of the imagery is symbolic with the lotus flowers and flames. The lotus flower represents enlightenment.”
WHAT DID HE LEARN IN THE FAR EAST?
“Joinery is an art form in Japan. They revere wood and respect it. They don’t chop down all their forests. They’re really careful about taking good care of their trees. You can see it in their architecture. A lot of my lamps have a Japanese flavor to it. I use traditional tools like the Japanese plane and the Japanese saw. The Japanese saw is very thin and cuts on the pull stroke. An American saw is very thick and cuts on the push stroke; it’s much less accurate and not as good a cut because the tension is against it.”
IS HE EVOKING A CERTAIN MESSAGE WITH HIS PAINTINGS?
“Instead of really saying something, I’m just showing a different perspective. I’m trying to show spiritual energy as opposed to true reality. I’d really rather have something that’s pleasing to look at. I think there is responsibility with art. If you put something out there, you should be aware of how it affects the viewer. I’d rather my art be inspiring instead of shocking.”
WHY GO INTO WOODWORKING?
“I went to college for pottery but it’s really tough to make a living as a visual artist. That’s why I delved into woodworking. Woodworking is a good middle ground. I can still be artistic and be my own boss.”
DOES HIS COMPANY HAVE A NAME?
“James Gandy Woodworks. I’ll be closing my business in about a month and a half to hike out West. For three months, I’ll be hiking the Pacific Crest Trail through northern California and Oregon. Then I’ll open in a different location in Jacksonville. I’d rather have a small shop in my house. I’m trying to phase out the big stuff.”
HOW DOES HE MARKET HIS WORK?
“I’ve never marketed my stuff. It’s always been word-of-mouth. I worked at Stellers Gallery in San Marco and met a lot of people there. People that buy art also buy custom woodwork because it’s not cheap.”
HAS HE DONE ANY
OTHER WORK?
“I’ve worked in a handful of frame shops. I’ve always been around art and artists.”
WHAT SELLS BETTER — YOUR WOODWORK OR YOUR PAINTINGS?
“My woodwork, by far.”
DOES HE PAINT
HIS DESIGNS?
“I don’t paint decorative things on wood. The small pieces I oil and the tables get a professional lacquer finish. I do my paintings on wood because I prefer that to canvas.”
HOMETOWN
Jacksonville.
WHERE HAS HE SHOWN
HIS DESIGNS?
“I had some work in Pedestrian Gallery and a small show in a private studio. I haven’t been to many shows lately. Since college, I’ve been working hard and building furniture mostly. I don’t do my paintings to sell them. I do them for myself. I sell one every once in a while. When you do something to sell it, you don’t put everything into it. You might compromise what you’re doing.”
WHAT’S MOST REWARDING ABOUT WHAT HE DOES?
“The freedom to come and go as I please. Running a business is hard work but I wouldn’t trade that freedom for anything.”
WHAT’S MOST CHALLENGING?
“It’s dirty, dusty, noisy, hard work. There’s lots of sawdust, heavy lifting and chemicals in the finish room.”
HOW DID HE GET PICKED FOR ART AFTER DARK?
“They asked me. I have some friends in the show that recommended me to those in charge.”
ANY HOBBIES?
“Music. I play a few instruments but mostly the sitar and the guitar.” A vegetarian, Gandy finds Indian food most palatable. He also enjoys watching “The Simpsons” and trips to Guana River State Park.
WHAT IS YOUR PET PEEVE?
“Impatience and intolerance.”
HIS HERO?
“Che Guevara. He was an Argentinean and Castro’s right hand man. The CIA killed him because they were afraid of him. He went out of his way to set things right in his eyes. He sacrificed himself for the good of the common, working people and was a doctor to the lepers.”
— by Monica Chamness