May 2026 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.  Also as a child, he fell in love with “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau,” which inspired his life and career in the water.  He studied marine biology and became a marine biologist and SCUBA instructor, working in Jamaica, Bermuda, Hawaii, and finally in Honduras where he was the director of the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center (WSORC) on the island of Utila.  His frequent underwater research and close interactions with marine life inspire his art.

Now retired, 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 one-of-a-kind.  He has received several art grants to help fund his art studio. 

Jim spent ten years of his art career travelling the country, competing in Fine Art Shows and Festivals from Key West to Mystic Connecticut. He now has made Cape Coral his home and exhibits his art at local venues.

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, Jim won ‘Best Artist’ and also First Place in Sculpture.