Born in Winona, Minnesota and raised in the Mississippi River Valley, James Karsina developed a connection with the power and beauty of the natural environment unique to the Midwest. Painting for over forty years, he has both a Master of Arts Degree and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Iowa. For twenty-five years he taught art at the collegiate level in Michigan until leaving academia in 1997 to pursue painting full time.Karsina's paintings are alive with the spirit and spontaneity of nature. He uses a vibrant palette and lyrical line-work to create a sense of vigorous and undulating movement. If perceived on an abstract level, his landscapes dissolve into an exciting division of color, space, and activity. The paintings are more than a response to a picturesque scene; they reveal their own personality.James Karsina is the recipient of several awards and has exhibited widely, including a thirty-year retrospective exhibition at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. In addition to his representation in museums and universities, his work is included in over forty corporate collections and more than 350 private collections.