About
James B. Janknegt was born in Austin, Texas. He attended public schools and was a part of the Saturday Morning Art Project at the University of Texas all through junior and high school.
He attended art school at the University of Texas in Austin and graduated with a BFA in 1978. He left Texas and moved to Iowa City to attend graduate school where he worked with Mauricio Lasansky and Joe Patrick among others.
Upon graduating with an MA and MFA in 1982 he moved back to Austin and began exhibiting his work at the Patrick Gallery. When the Patrick Gallery closed up shop he began to show with the Lyons Matrix Gallery until they too closed their doors. He also showed his work during this time in many galleries and museums around Texas.
While in high school Jim became a
Jesus Freak and was a part of The Well, a trans-denominational
coffee house where he painted murals on the walls and sang in the
folk group.
When he moved back to Austin many of
his old friends from The Well had migrated over to St. David's
Episcopal church where a contemporary folk mass had begun. After
several years he joined the folk group and illustrated several
mass booklets for music Kathy
Kanewske had written. It was also at St.David's that Jim
reconnected with Melissa Pena and subsequently married her.
When the Episcopal Church moved out from under them, the Janknegts converted to Catholicism in 2005 and were received into full communion in 2007.
In 1998 the Janknegts moved from Austin to Elgin, Texas where the have an ArtFarm. They grow artists, fruits, vegetables, chickens, goat, guinea hens, peacocks, and ducks. They also have two dogs.
Jim always worked full time to pay the bills and painted in his off hours. He painted billboards, dressed store windows, drove a taxi, sold plumbing and hardware supplies, worked as a graphic artist assistant, ran an offset printing press, been a procurement officer and a building manager and taught private art lessons. He worked as the building manager for the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin until he retired in 2015.
When he is not painting he enjoys reading, building things, gardening, tending to animals and camping. He also enjoys watching movies and listening to music.
When the Episcopal Church moved out from under them, the Janknegts converted to Catholicism in 2005 and were received into full communion in 2007.
In 1998 the Janknegts moved from Austin to Elgin, Texas where the have an ArtFarm. They grow artists, fruits, vegetables, chickens, goat, guinea hens, peacocks, and ducks. They also have two dogs.
Jim always worked full time to pay the bills and painted in his off hours. He painted billboards, dressed store windows, drove a taxi, sold plumbing and hardware supplies, worked as a graphic artist assistant, ran an offset printing press, been a procurement officer and a building manager and taught private art lessons. He worked as the building manager for the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin until he retired in 2015.
When he is not painting he enjoys reading, building things, gardening, tending to animals and camping. He also enjoys watching movies and listening to music.
Let's See: A Viewer's Guide by Ginger Geyer
A companion piece written by friend and fellow artist, Ginger Geyer on the occasion of an exhibit at Laity Lodge.
An article written for WND.com by Marissa Martin in 2014.
Would you like to use the work of James B. Janknegt in your project?
Many of his paintings have been used in magazines, books, text-books, Church bulletins, brochures and album covers. If you see a painting you would like to use, please contact Jim at: Jim@bcartfarm.com and he will discuss a one-time usage fee for your particular project.
The Way Is Through, Not Around
BY JOHN PAUL DAVIS:: A CONVERSATION WITH JIM JANKNEGT
This interview was in volume one, issue two, spring of 2004 of The New Pantagruel magazine.