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Passion for Painting Propels Young Artist
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Tracy Ahrens
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Neighbors
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September 4, 2008
Fine artist, John Tylk, remembers 6-year-old James Bertucci lighting up his painting class literally, and figuratively.
James, now 18, came to class wearing tennis shoes with heels that lit up when he walked.
"He was the first student who came to class wearing shoes like that," John said with a laugh.
While his shoes flashed, James' ability to paint presented fresh light in John's classes, inspiring other young artists.
"He was just 10 years old, while other students in the class were around 16, and the older students would say to me after seeing James' work, 'How old is the kid doing this?'" John said.
"Some of the older students were struggling, but James put in more easel time, making a thousand more mistakes and fixing a thousand more mistakes. He was much closer to painting a good piece by himself."
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On Sept. 2, James, a Frankfort native, began his freshman year at Laguna College of Art & Design in Laguna Beach, Calif.
"Traditional art skills is the focus there (at Laguna) and they have great representation for artists nationally," James said from his studio at home before he left.
All freshmen have to pick a major, so James chose illustration. However, his dreams, he said, include having his own art gallery one day, creating murals and being "nationally known."
James is well on his way to national recognition.
In the past four years he has won numerous awards at the regional and national levels for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is offered by the national organization called Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. Each year more than 100,000 works of art and writing are submitted by teenagers to regional programs of The Awards.
This year James became one of five artists to win a National Portfolio Gold Award from the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. This award includes a $10,000 college scholarship.
When he was just 6 years old, one of James' paintings won a district award as the outstanding student in all of Will, Kendall and Grundy counties. When he was 7, a pastel he created of a cardinal was published in the Illinois Reading Council Journal.
In his junior year of high school at Lincoln-Way East he was featured on ABC 7 News' human-interest segment titled "Someone You Should Know." This year he was featured again.
Lincoln-Way East High School's graduation program cover for 2008 was designed by James, showcasing his skills in graphic design.
Two of his paintings are on permanent display in public locations: one at Robert Morris College, Chicago and one at Hope Children's Hospital, Oak Lawn.
Another work, a sculpture concept in glass and metal, will be installed in another year at Olivieri Business Park in Mokena. The business park offered an art competition, asking students at Lincoln-Way East to submit plans for a public sculpture with the theme, "Protecting the Earth." Thirty-five students submitted proposals. James' proposal won.
His proposal is a sculpture of a tree. "It will stand 10 to 15 feet tall, featuring copper as the trunk (base) and different colored pieces of glass for the leaves," James said. "You will see a recycle symbol in the trunk of the tree and the leaves look like two hands with fingers spread out."
From an early age, James said, he knew his career path would involve art.
"I'm very critical of myself, of my work," James said. "I always ask myself if I have the right viewpoint, for example, or if I have my values correct. I try to improve with each new piece."
A picture of James at age 6 holding his kindergarten teacher's hand, smiling wide, is displayed in a decorative frame in his art studio, formerly the basement family room.
The picture was taken in 1996 and James just earned first place for a drawing he created using markers. The theme was, "The Cow Jumped Over the Moon."
The smile on his face and grip on his teacher's hand reflects his love of art and the reaction his work received from people who viewed it.
"That wining piece gave me motivation," James said.
It was permanently displayed at the Professional Development Alliance in Joliet.
James said his mom, Angel, initially exposed him to drawing around the age of 2. His dad's name is also James.
"When I was younger she would draw cartoons with me and my brothers and that's where I picked it up," James said.
Angel's great-aunts, James said, painted some works in oils, too His brother, Joe, 17, is gifted in woodworking, while his brother, Peter, 15, draws and paints.
When he was 5, James' mom brought him to an art class at the Frankfort Park District. James was too young for the class, he said, but his mom "pushed" to get him in. John Tylk was the instructor.
"Mr. Tylk said that I had talent," James said.
"I usually ask that children start art classes when they are in first grade or kindergarten," John said. "They need to at least know the alphabet, because if they know letters, they can draw shapes.
"James wanted to be in the class," John said. "He listened and I would show him how to correct things and he would do it. He didn't mind making mistakes.
"I usually tell all my students that they are gifted," John said. "By that, I mean, the biggest gift is that their parents are able to put them in the class. What they do with the gift is up to them."
From the age of 5 to 7 James attended art classes at the park district. Then he joined John and other students for classes at John's Frankfort home. Once a week he sat with John and drew or painted for an hour or more. He continued lessons with John through the age of 14.
His first medium was graphite, then he moved to oils.
"I can see Jim being an illustrator and a fine artist," John said. "He does good with portraits and landscapes."
Seeing James leave for college is "encouraging and sad," John said. "Jim is a friend and fellow artist. I tell him to remember that what he does is put shapes on canvas. This is a job. That he's not special."
With each new piece, James said, "You have to stay modest. If you don't, you won't work as hard.
"Mr. Tylk is an inspiration to me," James added. "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him."
"That makes me feel very good, very proud," John said.
Other artists who inspire James are his high school art teachers, Dale Sandoval, and Department Chair, Colette Rinn. Famous American portrait artists who inspire James are Richard Schmid and John Howard Sanden.
James Bertucci likes to work on a grand scale, canvases no smaller than 16x20 inches, and logs countless hours at the easel.
"I put on my headphones and I'm ready to go," he said, noting that instrumental music is his preference while painting, including albums by American instrumental post-rock band, "Explosions in the Sky."
For several years he used a drafting table in his bedroom at home, but the start of his freshman year of high school, he moved his easel and art supplies to a more spacious basement family room.
He prefers working with oils verses acrylics, he said. "When you work with oil, you have a chance to change the work more," James said. "The paint stays wet longer."
Three to seven hours can pass at one time while he works, James said. Some of his large pieces took over 100 hours to complete.
Though he has no favorite brush or pallet he works with, he has purposely incorporated one silver, metal can in several of his self-portraits. "I like the reflection they give," he said.
The reflections in store windows also challenge James, and he's created two pieces with people looking into large windows.
While James is the subject in several of his pieces, he also asks friends and family to model, including his Shih Tzu, Augie.
When he's away from his easel, James is "laid back," he said, enjoying hanging out with friends, playing sports (such as basketball) and throwing bean bags.
"Painting has always been a way for me to get away from things," he said.
The rewards of being an artist, he said, are hearing and seeing reactions from the public when his works are displayed.
He recalled comments as people viewed his piece, "An Artist's Collection," pastels, 28x36 inches. A lady said, "I could stare at it for hours and continue to see something else."
"As an artist, you hear comments and it's great," James said. "You hope people love your work as much as you put time and passion into creating it."
His goal as an artist, he said, is to continue getting his name into the public's eye and to "always reinvent" himself.
"The biggest key to success as an artist is staying motivated and dedicated when other obstacles get in the way," James said.
"You have to learn how to take criticism and learn from your mistakes, while constantly pushing yourself to become the best artist you can be. As an artist, you should be your toughest critic. If you aren't, then you are not pushing yourself as hard as you can."
To contact James Bertucci, call 815-469-0565, e-mail info@jamesbertucci.com, or see his Web site at www.jamesbertucci.com.
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