James Conner Gallery

James Day Conner, known as “The Portrait Painter of American Cities” grew up in a small community not far from “The Queen City,” Cincinnati. His paintings reflect two worlds: the rural community of Bethel, Ohio with its rolling landscapes and quaint village scenes, and the resplendent architecture of Cincinnati with its towering buildings on the banks of the Ohio River. Influenced by portrait artist William Gephardt of Cincinnati and skyline painter William Dietrich, of the University of Cincinnati, James found that he could capture the look and feeling of a city by creating a montage of landmarks. He creates an intricate sense of detail with pen and ink and then adds color with brilliant watercolor washes.