Watercolorist Jim Mahanes has painted the American landscape with both realism and imaginative interpretation. Coastal lighthouses have become a particular passion in this artist's subject matter since 1991, and to date, he has traveled to and painted over 40 of these coastal sentinels from Nova Scotia to Key West, Florida. Mahanes' watercolors hang in many private and corporate collections, and he is the winner of numerous awards.

Since 1975, watercolorist Jim Mahanes has painted the American landscape with both realism and imaginative interpretation. A self-taught artist, Mahanes has advanced degrees in the behavioral sciences, and practices family therapy in Louisville, Kentucky. He has been a faculty member of the University of Kentucky for more than 23 years. His art is a primary focus in his life now, however. According to Jim, "There is a close parallel between painting and therapy. The perceptual skills demanded of a clinician enhance the creative approach to painting and vice versa."

Mahanes' watercolors hang in many private and corporate collections, and he is the winner of numerous awards. His works have been exhibited in galleries from Louisville to St. Augustine, Florida, and he has been described as " impressionistic, while also exercising considerable control and assurance with his subject." Composition and design play a central role in his subject matter. His work uniquely captures the play of light and shadows on architectural subjects, the inviting serenity of landscapes, and the rhythm of shapes, colors and textures of the images he paints.

Coastal lighthouses have become a particular passion in this artist's subject matter since 1991, and to date, he has traveled to and painted over 40 of these "coastal sentinels" from Nova Scotia to Key West, Florida. To quote the artist, "There seems to be something special about the lighthouse that exceeds its utilitarian purpose. The lighthouse is a symbol of integrity, constancy and reliability when most needed."

According to lighthouse preservationist and director of the Tybee Island Historical Society, Cullen Chambers, "Jim's watercolors are some of the most emotional and inspiring lighthouse perspectives that I have ever enjoyed. They are reminiscent of works by Andrew Wyeth and reflect the diversity and individual character of every lighthouse, and many individuals' reactions and relationships to America's lighthouse legacy."