The Angel of Juxtaom Painting By James Yale

In a conversation by phone with the elusive Roscoe Van Jones – musician, festival promoter, and all round Eureka Springs icon,  I had a couple of follow-up questions about James’ paintings, The Angel of Juxtaom and Kerry Leigh and Her Dragon. 

My first question was to clear up the origin story of how these two paintings came to be. Were they commissioned? Did James watch the spirit of this precocious kid in Goodwill chic sashay into his gallery on a regular basis on route to the Carnegie Library?  

After talking to Alexa the day before, the origin story I was picking up had a Gift of the Magi vibe between Alexa and Roscoe, each one plotting a surprise gift for the other with paintings of their daughter, Kerry Leigh.  

It would have been better theater having both Alexa and Roscoe in the room together to get this story straight, and witness their crossfire of memories. Because, I was thinking Alexa had commissioned The Angel of Juxtaom for Roscoe after he brought home for her the painting Kerry Leigh and Her Dragon. 

So, in this follow up call, Roscoe cut to the chase about the first painting, Kerry Leigh and Her Dragon. 

Q. Sooo, was it a chicken or the egg of what came first? Was it a commission or was it from James’ inspiration with a twist of his imagination in the creation of the painting Kerry Leigh and her Dragon?

A. “No, not a commission. I saw it. I wanted the painting. James needed the truck.” 

(That is the black Mazda 4 wheel drive truck I pulled up behind the first time I visited James and saw the bumper sticker that read , “Create Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty. That bumper sticker made me smile as I jumped out of my black truck named Johnny Cash… where my front license plate read: Eat More Possum).

Q: “Roscoe,  how did The Angel of Juxtaom come into your life?”

A: “Alexa and I saw it at an art show together, and Alexa later bought it..”

Q. Alexa had said that James changed Kerry Leigh’s eyes in the original composition, but wasn’t sure why.” 

A. “Originally her eyes were focused in another direction. And the hummingbird was not there.” 

Q. “Was the hummingbird an afterthought?” 

A. “I don’t know, but I’m tickled I own these paintings of a master artist …and of my daughter. James’ work… every time you look at his paintings …you see something new. The guy had a vibe about him, as if you knew him forever.”

What I love about this exchange with Roscoe… it was part, Hippie Dragnet, “Just the facts M’am” with his own laid back “vibe”.

One more thing, James’ never explained the story behind his artwork. He wanted to inspire the storyteller in all of us.

As for me, until I stood before the Angel of Juxtaom, looking at both the angel and the hummingbird in the painting, I had never seen the detail of her wings. They are very different from The Angel of Chelsea or the Fallen Angel of War and Peace. I see that James presents us with two winged creatures. The angel’s  wings are curled and folded as she and the hummingbird hold each other’s gaze in a moment of stillness… stopping the world.

What do you see? What stories does this evoke? 

— Charlotte Buchanan Yale