F. James Skinner
Jim Skinner was born in 1947 and was raised in Pelham, New York, with his two sisters; son of an Electrical Engineer, and an Early Childhood Development Professional. He graduated from Colby College, Waterville, Maine, after studying chemistry and art. His interest in sculpture lead to his study at the University of Pennsylvania where he received his M.F.A. in 1973. He obtained an appointment to the faculty of the State University of New York at Geneseo, New York, which he held until 1980, teaching sculpture, drawing, figure drawing, and design.
In 1980, Jim, his wife Jo-Anne, and son Gabriel moved to Portland, Maine, where they lived together until 1998. He designed, sculpted, and coordinated the installation of an outdoor work commissioned by the State of Maine for the campus of Southern Maine Vocational Technical College, (the current Southern Maine Community College). He has been a member of a jewelry design and production shop named Brown Goldsmiths & Co., that specializes in making custom hand-made cast and fabricated jewelry utilizing precious metals and gemstones, in addition to offering a wide variety of other precious jewelry items.
Jim’s decision to extend his interest in depth psychology beyond sculpturally creative media resulted in his formal graduate work in counseling psychology at the Pacifica Graduate Institute, Carpinteria, California, after attending seminar classes at the Jungian Institute in Boston. He practiced as a psychotherapist at Carroll County Mental Health Service in Conway, New Hampshire; Memorial Hospital, in North Conway, New Hampshire; and at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine.
In 1997, he returned to professional jewelry design and wax model-making work at Brown Goldsmith & Co, where he created custom designs, working with sales associates and customers during their jewelry design and purchasing process. While there, he became versed in the use of CAD/CAM processes of jewelry design and creation.
During this period, he sailed on his 30 foot Morgan Sloop, “Harbinger”, cruising the seas around Casco Bay, Maine, with his wife Kathleen Riseman. The two of them partnered in the renovation and restoration of several residences, and properties on the East Coast. Both Jim and Kat retired from formal work situations; she from Tyler Technologies in 2013, and he from Brown Goldsmiths in 2014. Jim is currently involved with the Thompson Lake Environmental Association (TLEA), having been invited to join TLEA, on the Board of Directors in 2018.
An abiding interest in philosophy and meditation has been followed since the early 1970’s, and is intimately connected to his artistic expression. Many of his sculptural forms, two dimensional images, as well as written works, are inspired by artistic explorations of themes that connect the personal and archetypal. These provide concrete formats for the viewer to ponder and explore with reference to their own experiences in life. In this spirit, they are presented in this web site, to share with the viewer.