Janice James: The Watercolor Artist Who Captured St. Petersburg
When artist Janice James died in October 2022, her family found a treasure trove of her gorgeous watercolors. Snell Isle resident and Frame Station Gallery owner, Zack Walzer, will tell you, “It was almost like magic that the Janice James Gallery Night happened.
“My son was working in the gallery for summer college volunteer credits and found one of her prints that a client wanted in Denver,” Walzer explains. “I had framed prints of hers hanging on the gallery walls, so I was familiar with a lot of her watercolor paintings and prints.
“One thing led to another,” he recalls, “and the family asked if I would sell [some of] the collection they had. We decided on a November date [for an exhibition] and sent out the invitations not knowing how many people would show up.”
But show up they did, says Walzer. “They were lined up outside to get in. It was a magical night.”
Janice James’ interest in art started when she was just 9 years old, and as an adult, she pursued a career in commercial art. She drew for department stores in Miami and met her husband, Bill, at the University of Miami. They married in 1955 – James made her own wedding dress and those of her bridesmaids – and, while raising their three daughters, James turned her talent to making their clothes as well.
She still pursued her fine art projects, however, and after working with oils and acrylics, she finally found her true passion in watercolors. The family moved to St. Petersburg in 1972 for her husband’s banking work, and that’s where James’s art really flourished. She began painting the world around her, including our most iconic local landmarks like the Vinoy, the Don CeSar, and the Snell Isle Bridge.
James’ art was popular, and she was a prolific painter of beloved sites around the city, private homes, and well-known businesses. According to her daughter, Joanne James Russell, her mother donated her work to nonprofits to auction for charity, painted for community organizations, volunteered, sewed uniforms for their cheer and majorette costumes, and played violin and golf. Looking back on her life, the family marveled how she managed to do it all.
Though she died October 2, 2022, at 96, the iconic St. Petersburg scenes she captured in watercolor still hang in homes and businesses around the city, including the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Many discerning residents, including Tom and Mary James (no relation), founders of The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, own pieces by James. No doubt you’ll recognize her iconic watercolor work the next time you’re out on the town.
This article was compiled with information from Joanne James Russell’s post at passionedivina.com/about-mom and from the Tampa Bay Times obituary.
