Jim Griffiths
'Coming Home'

Jim Griffiths
'Never Has She Failed Us'

Jim Griffiths
'HENRY B. HYDE'

Jim Griffiths
'The CONSTITUTION'

Jim Griffiths
'Destroyer USS DYER'

Jim Griffiths
'Far from Home'

Jim Griffiths
'Between Rain Showers'

Jim Griffiths
'The Silent Service'

Jim Griffiths
'Clipper FLYING FISH'

Jim Griffiths
'GOLDEN WEST'

Jim Griffiths
'Foggy Approach'

Jim Griffiths
'Speedy ARIEL'

Jim Griffiths
'USS MISSOURI'

Jim Griffiths
'Clippership COMET'

Jim Griffiths
'Packet Ship CASTILIAN'

Jim Griffiths
'USS EL DORADO'

When we first saw the extraordinary watercolors of Jim Griffiths, we were instantly impressed, as have been the many collectors lucky enough to acquire his work over the last few years. Our admiration continues to grow for Griffiths' work as a watercolorist, so deft as a draftsman, meticulous as a researcher, and sophisticated as a colorist.

Griffiths' career began during high school where he spent summers in classes at the Chicago Art Institute and the American Academy of Art. After graduating from Amherst College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1969, he furthered his studies, graduating from the Los Angeles Art Center College of Design with a degree in illustration. He then went to work for an industrial arts studio where, after a short period of time his interest and desire to devote himself entirely to painting ships and the sea took over. Fortunately, he has been pursuing marine art exclusively since then.

A special area of interest for him is the 19th century tea clipper whose graceful lines were designed for speed, a feeling Griffiths captures in the snap of a flag and the billowing of sails. His seas are full of expression, whether moved by lazy ripples on a foggy morning or torn by white-capped waves under a freshening breeze.

His other favorite subjects are post-1940 steel naval vessels. It is perhaps in these that the full range of his tremendous talents can be appreciated for the absolute precision detail in combination with convincing color and light, which Griffiths handles on a par with the finest marine watercolorists of any era. To ensure the authenticity and accuracy of all of his work, he refers regularly to a large library of nautical books, photographs and ship plans that he has amassed over the years.

He is a member of the American Society of Marine Artists, and in 1989 was commissioned to paint the Official Portrait of the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72). He has also done a series of nautical paintings for the Revel/Monogram Co. There is no question in our minds that he has earned his position as one of the world's premier marine watercolorists whose work will be featured among the important museum collections of tomorrow.

Jim won the prestigious Rudolph J. Schaefer Maritime Heritage Award at the 2003 Mystic International Marine Art Exhibition. The award recognizes the one work in the show that "best documents our maritime heritage, past or present, for generations of the future."

Paintings represented in corporate collections:

Kraftco Corporations Glenview, Illinois 
Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp., Pittsburgh, PA 
Schiele-Faierson Co., Chicago, Illinois 
Global Cash Management, Lake Forest, Illinois 
Ebasco Services, Inc., Houston, Texas

Jim Griffiths
'Across the Sea of Storms'

Jim Griffiths
'USS NEW JERSEY'

Jim Griffiths
'In The Tea Trade'

Jim Griffiths
'The Fighting Lady'

Jim Griffiths
'USS TUSCALOOSA'

Jim Griffiths
'THERMOPYLAE'

Jim Griffiths
'USS YORKTOWN'

Jim Griffiths
'USS SAN JACINTO'

Jim Griffiths
'PORT JACKSON'

Jim Griffiths
'B-25's'

Jim Griffiths
'First Light'


Jim Griffiths
'USS TRENTON'

Jim Griffiths
'Heavy Weather'