Jim Seitz was born in Chicago and currently resides in the Dallas area. He grew up in Texas and graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He began showing talent and a love for art as early as the third grade, becoming more serious during his college years. During that time he worked for the university, providing medical illustrations for the Science Department. He has traveled extensively throughout his life, living for several years in the Middle East, then moved to South East Asia. His travel experience have included everything from cave exploring in the mountains of Iran to working in the jungles of New Guinea and Borneo. His preferred medium during that time was ink and watercolor, as it was easy to transport to and from remote locations. Jim has been influenced by various 19th century landscape artists but prefers a tonal minimalistic representation of their subject matter. Through his paintings, less becomes more. His appreciation for color and creative style lend to pieces that are traditional, moving to abstract. His utilization of gold leaf with multiple layers of acrylics provides an effect that is quickly becoming this artist's signature.