James Russell Cowper was born in the Scottish Borders at Selkirk in 1988.

He studied classical drawing and painting at The Swedish Academy of Realist Art (SARA), a school dedicated to teaching traditional academic techniques that were
widely taught in the 19th century European ateliers. During 2013 he took part in courses offered by the Angel Academy of Art on Florence. He also studied at The Nerdrum School under Odd Nerdrum in Norway in 2016.

James taught as a member of the main faculty at The Swedish Academy of Art (SARA) from 2014-2018. In 2013 he assisted Sanna Tomac in her prestigious commission to paint the centre piece for a baroque ceiling in Bååtska Palace in central Stockholm. He has taught workshops both privately and for SARA since 2014. After spending much of the last decade studying and teaching classical painting and drawing in Sweden, James has now returned to Scotland.

Working primarily in oils, James paints a wide variety of subjects. His artistic output is unified by a singular focus - to create colour atmosphere and light on the canvas.

Mixed Exhibitions

2020: Proko Challenge Winner in Online Figurative Art Contest
2017: Högberga Gård, Stockholm, Sweden
The Nerdrum School Summer Exhibition Norway
2016: The Nerdrum School Exhibition, Norway
Konstrundan Festival, Sweden
2015: Simrishamn Christmas Exhibition, Sweden
Wexford Art in the Open Festival, Ireland
Vaxholm Rådhus, Sweden
The Swedish Academy of Art (SARA) End of year Exhibition and Open House, Sweden 2013,
2014, 2015
2013: Svartsjö Castle, Sweden
Edinburgh RSA Open Exhibition, Scotland