Short Bio

Studio artist working out of Berea Ohio

Statement

As an artist, I am indebted to the many family members, friends, colleagues, and teachers who inspired and affected my art and thinking. My father A.J. Soppelsa was a talented commercial and fine artist and had a tremendous influence on me. One word he used that fascinated me as a kid was abstract. I think if I had to pinpoint a single influence on my work, it would be that word. I’m also asked if Mondrian is an influence—the answer is always yes, along with many other artists whose works I have seen and studied. Graduating from the Cooper School of Art in 1974 with a major in communication design, I began as an apprentice and key liner at Manning Studies, Inc. in Cleveland. This was followed by a short time as an artist in the graphics department at Premier Industrial Corporation. After being awarded a Special Mention in Graphics in the 1980 Cleveland Art Museum’s May Show, I shifted my concentration to my family and work life. Most of my career was spent as part-owner, designer, and production manager for Sun Art Decals, Inc. in Berea, Ohio, screen printing and producing custom decals, mainly for commercial vehicles. Throughout this time, I kept working on my own art--drawing, painting, and cartooning, In the early 1970’s, I began a series of small graphic journals of drawings and personal notations on art and my role as an artist. Using a few fundamental shapes, colors, and lines on a grid, the possible combinations are endless and have resulted in the continuing evolution of my work. After retiring from the commercial world, I have returned full-time to the studio and to projects I began nearly 50 years ago. Reviewing journal entries, I begin basic sketches, based on the structure of a variety of grids broken down into three sections. As I see subtle tensions develop among shape, line and sometimes color, I then go with the flow. I continue to go back to these journal entries, find something that interests me and develop it into a finished graphic or painting. My work is loosely based on the elements of land, sea, and air. I arrange shapes and lines horizontally or from front to back. I begin to rely on the shapes and the negative space. At times the sketches seem to draw themselves. Nearly every one of my drawings is based on threes of circles, squares, and triangles, sometimes in black and white, sometimes adding the basic colors red, yellow, and blue. At times I venture into secondary colors, or even shades of all the above. Working in series and systems, with a few limiting parameters, I am amazed at the freedom I find. An abstract approach to composition has been of interest to me for as long as I can remember.

Biography

ArtiCle Gallery Presents Jim Soppelsa: 

Combinations Along The Way 

 

 

Jim Soppelsa grew up with an appreciation of art and design. Jim’s father, A.J. Soppelsa, a talented Cleveland commercial and fine artist, instilled in him a love of line, color and shape - and a fascination with what he termed “the abstract”.  

 

Graduating from the Cooper School of Art in 1974 with a Major in Communication Design, Jim began his career as an apprentice keyliner at Manning Studios in Cleveland.  He was awarded a Special Mention in Graphics in the 1980 CMA May Show.  

He spent the following family and work years as co-owner, designer and production manager with Sun Art Decals, a Cleveland silk-screen and digital production company. Jim continued to pursue drawing, painting, cartooning and small graphic journals in his spare time.  

 

Retiring from the commercial world, Jim has returned full-time to the studio with projects he began nearly 50 years ago.  

“I start with basic sketches based on a variety of grids broken down into three sections. Subtle tensions develop among shape, line and color” - what Hans Hoffman described as the dynamics of “push and pull”.  Other European influences of Mondrian, Klee, the Italian Futurists and Bauhaus design are evident in Jim’s art. 

 

“My work is based on the elements of land, sea and air.  Nearly all my initial drawings are threes - circles, squares and triangles, black and white or primary colors. At times I venture into secondary colors, shades and tints. Working in series and systems with a few limiting parameters I am amazed at the visual freedom I find.” 

 

Jim’s formal approach to design is not devoid of light-hearted humor and whimsy. Dancing figures, jazz notation, fantastic creatures, and expanding landscapes, all brimming with energy and motion, are brought to mind.  

Resume / CV

1974 - Graduated Cooper School of Art, Cleveland OH,  with a major in communication design
1973 - 1976 - Apprentice and key liner at Manning Studies, Inc. Cleveland OH
1976-1979 - Graphic Artist , Premier Ind. Corp. Cleveland, OH 
1979-2013- Co-owner, designer and production manager with Sun Art Decals, a Cleveland, OH
2013-2019 - Sales rep. decals and large format printing Repros Inc., Cleveland OH
2019- present - Studio artist