The Travel Show

Watercolors by Jim Hamil

Jim Hamil painted the world as he moved through it—quietly, skillfully, and with a palette that never shouted. The Travel Show brings together a selection of his original works shown were created between the mid-60’s to 2008, centered around a rediscovered sketchbook from a 1966 painting trip through Europe. Jim suffered a stroke in 2009 and so began a new direction in his painting using his less favorable right hand. Be sure and check out the ‘Reflective’ works (2009-2020)” https://jrhamil.com/category/reflective-works/

That sketchbook, filled with location notes, pencil studies, and fluid watercolor sketches, was the product of a Hallmark-sponsored workshop with John Pike. Jim’s use of a reduced palette—Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, Black, with subtle touches of Cyan and Magenta—wasn’t just a technique. It became part of his visual fingerprint, seen again years later in works like Under the Jib (1983), painted during a sailing trip with his wife and friends.

Several of the paintings in this show were created outdoors, on-site, in the moment—what he would have called “straight from the source.” Others were completed in the studio using field notes, photos, and memory. Regardless of setting, every piece reveals Jim’s eye for quiet balance and his deep connection to place.

The Travel Show is not a chronology—it’s a painter’s map. One built not just on destinations, but on the act of looking closely and translating what he saw into color, light, and form.

For collectors who value strong composition, atmospheric tone, and the handmade mark, this is a rare chance to own part of Jim Hamil’s legacy.