View Jim Meyer's gallery

Jim Meyer

Jim Meyer began making woodcuts in the early 1990s when he was employed as a commercial artist. Interested in pursuing work more purely of his own direction, he soon made the transition to independent printmaker, focusing on intimate, painterly studies of the American landscape. Much of his subject matter is drawn from Minnesota’s North Shore but he has also produced a significant series of scenes depicting the mountains and shores of the West. A major inspiration for the artist is the Group of Seven Canadian landscape painters that were active in the early 20th century – Jim’s work shares their affinity for intense color combinations used to define forms.

When creating a woodcut, Jim prefers basswood, poplar and cherry for carving. Wood grain and character are often retained as a part of his design. His editions typically run from almost 200 of each single or multi-block print to around 30 for the more labor-intensive reduction prints which involve the use, alteration, and re-use of a single block.

The artist, who lives and works in Hopkins, MN, studied at Illinois’ Wheaton College, the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He is the illustrator of the popular children’s book If You Want to See a Caribou, available - along with a broad selection of reduction prints - at The Grand Hand.

“My aim is to make art that reflects the mystery and beauty of creation,” says the artist. “Woodblock prints are well suited for that purpose – they are organic, low-tech, and require the patience of the skilled manual arts. Visually, they tend to be honest and strong.”