January 2025 3-D Featured Artist Jim Crawford

Jim Crawford is a self-taught artist who began wood carving when he was young and turned professional at the age of five. He studied marine biology and later worked as a marine biologist in Jamaica, Bermuda, Hawaii, and in Honduras where he was the director of the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center (WSORC) on the island of Utila.

 As a retired professor, marine biologist, and SCUBA instructor, Jim uses his photos and experiences underwater to create life-like sculptures of his ocean friends. His sculptures are first carved in wood. He then makes a rubber mold of the original, and using the lost wax method, he casts the piece in bronze. The bronze sculpture is then sanded and finished with an acid patina, which gives it a unique look and color. His art techniques and finished works are unique, and he has received several art grants to help fund his art studio. 

Jim is also a member of the Miniature Artists of America (MAA) and competes in several international exhibitions every year. In 2024, at the Miniature Art Society of Florida’s 49th International Exhibition, he won “Best Artist” and “First Place in Sculpture”.