James C. Christensen

American artist and illustrator James C. Christensen is primarily famous as one of the world's preeminent fantasy painters.
Christensen has published more than three books, with many of his works appearing in many more. His first book, A Journey of the Imagination: The Art of James Christensen, was printed in 1994 to great acclaim. His second, Voyage of the Basset (with Renwick St. James and Alan Dean Foster (Artisan, 1996), contains a frame story for a great deal of original work. This book was adapted into the TV miniseries Voyage of the Unicorn, starring Beau Bridges, Chantal Conlin, Heather McEwen, Mackenzie Gray and John DeSantis. His third book, Rhymes & Reasons, was published in May 1997. Christensen also illustrated A Shakespeare Sketchbook (May 2001) with text by Renwick St. James.
James C. Christensen is a devout Latter-day Saint (a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). 
Christensen says his inspirations are myths, fables, fantasies, and tales of imagination. Fantasy is incorporated into all his art, even art pieces with religious themes.
 
Christensen was raised in Culver City, California and attended UCLA. He then moved to Utah to finish his higher education at Brigham Young University. He then went on to teach art for over 20 years, where he finished his teaching career at Brigham Young University in the late 1990s. Christensen now resides in Orem, Utah. Two daughters are also professional artists.
Since his graduation he has had numerous showings of his work throughout the US and has been commissioned by numerous media companies to create artwork for their publications, such as Time-Life Books and Omni (Wikipedia.org).
Christensen's work has appeared in the American Illustration Annual and Japan's Outstanding American Illustrators. He also won all the professional art honors the World Science Fiction Convention offers, and multiple Chesley Awards from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.
== External Links ==
*Christensen's Faculty Web Site
*New Era Interview with James Christensen
Category:Famous Mormons
Category:Bruigham Young University faculty