Jim Brune

Indiana artisan, Jim Brune dabbled with painting in high school, learned how to paint with watercolors in college, and the last few years has been painting watercolor on hardwood — a unique method that sets his work apart from traditional watercolor artists. “I don’t know of anybody who does art the way I do,” Jim says of his watercolor-on-wood creations.
“My art will never be duplicated by anyone, each piece is unique in its own way.”
Using a Super-realism technique that makes his artwork seem right at home in any family room, the Decatur Indiana artist carefully chooses what kind of wood to paint on from freshly cut pieces of hardwood directly from a portable sawmill. He uses the wood in an artistic way as the wood grain becomes ripples in water or an interesting background. Utilizing the natural live edge of the wood makes some of the art truly unique. “Some pieces of wood are filled with tinted epoxy, which is evident in a few of my pieces,” Jim says of his paintings on wood, most of which capture birds and other animals in their natural habitats. “I love the way the wood looks and smells when it comes off the sawmill. “I have perfected the technique and am always in search for new and interesting subject matter.”
Working in the graphic design industry for more than 35 years, Brune says he learned watercolor painting in 1982 at Ball State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in fine art and design. He has owned and operated a successful graphic design business since 1991. Today, Jim proudly boasts of being happily married for 39 years, father to six, and grandfather to 11.