By Ed McGlinn
Jim Foote is widely recognized as one of America's most celebrated wildlife artists. Trained as a wildlife biologist, he retired from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to pursue a full-time career as a painter and carver.
With the DNR he was a game biologist at the Pointe Mouillee State Game Area in northern Monroe County, and had much to do with the restoration and protection of that special area. It was there, as I remember the story, he began his art career by carving decoys. He soon moved to the fine carving--I would call it wood sculpture--of all game birds and from there to oil painting of all wildlife, but especially wildfowl and upland birds.
The wash drawings with acrylic paint used here are taken from the book, A Fall of Woodcock. They are, as George Alexander states in his review, superb. His paintings were used in the 1986 and 1989 stamps of the Ruffed Grouse Society (which has published nine stamps). Availability of a limited edition of his art used in this book can be had by calling the Ruffed Grouse Society at 1-88 JOIN RGS.
He and his wife, Joanne, live on Marco Island, Florida, but continue to spend their Octobers in northern lower Michigan. RWOL
© Copyright 1997 - , Anglers of the Au Sable, Inc. All rights reserved. Last modified: February 20, 2002
