The Western Portraits of James Bama

TOMMY THOMPSON, OUTFITTER   |   © Bama, 1973

James Bama (b. 1926) grew up in New York, studied at the Art Students League there, and after a stint in the Army Air Corps, began working there. For more than twenty years, he had a successful career as a commercial artist, producing illustrations for publications like Reader's Digest and The Saturday Evening Post. Norman Rockwell was a great inspiration, though Bama wanted to carve his own, distinctive niche.

A 1966 vacation in Wyoming stirred within him a love for the history and people of the West, and for the great outdoors. He produced 18 paintings, all with a Western theme, which he placed in a New York gallery in 1971. They sold with such success that Bama soon moved to Wyoming and began specializing in the sort of paintings that follow.

TOM LAIRD, PROSPECTOR   |   © Bama, 1972

His paintings are photo-realistic and have the advantage of Bama's understanding of professional lighting techniques. As I study his work, I recognize that Bama tends to have neutral backgrounds, dark and grayed middle tones with high-contrast details, and usually one color that predominates.

BILL SMITH - NUMBER ONE   |   © Bama, 1974

Bill Smith was the World's Champion Saddle Bronc Rider in 1969, 1971 and 1973. Bama described him as "shy, modest and a gentleman."

GEORGE WASHINGTON BROWN, STAGECOACH DRIVER | © Bama

Mr. Brown was 92 when Bama painted him, the oldest living 24-horse team stagecoach driver in Wyoming.

CHESTER MEDICINE CROW WITH HIS FATHER'S PEACE PIPE   |   © Bama, 1973

One of James Bama's favorite sitters was Chester Medicine Crow, son of a famous 19th century Crow chief. Here, along with his father's peace pipe, he's posing with the medal that President Woodrow Wilson gave his father in 1913.

CHESTER MEDICINE CROW IN HIS RESERVATION HAT   |   © Bama, 1973

CHESTER MEDICINE CROW WITH HIS FATHER'S FLAG   |   © Bama, 1972

Above is Bama's painting of Chester Medicine Crow with his father's 46-star flag, which dates back to 1900. By chance, I was able to find an image of Chief Medicine Crow from that period, with a similar, but different American flag.

CHIEF MEDICINE CROW   |   amertribes.proboards.com

Save the last photograph of Chester Medicine Crow's father,

all the above images come from The Western Art of James Bama,

A Peacock Press/Bantam Book, 1975.

James Bama was inducted into the Illustrator's Hall of Fame in 2000.

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