When artist Jim Hutton returned to his hometown of Grand Junction in 1996 to settle his late mother’s estate, he planned to sell her house and return to Boulder, where he’d lived since college. Having dabbled in art as a young boy, he decided to paint a few pieces that reminded him of his childhood in Western Colorado.

He started by painting trains.

“My dad was a conductor for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad his entire life,” Hutton said. 

As a child, he had shown an early interest in drawing and his father encouraged it. 

“I had all the paper and red Rio Grande pencils I could ever want. The paper came in tablet form with conductors’ notes on one side. I drew on the back.”

Jim Hutton's "Red Canyon"

From trains, his work expanded to landscapes and plants, specifically succulents. Having co-owned a wholesale cactus business for several decades, he was especially drawn to the native cacti of the Grand Valley. Local geology also became a major source of inspiration.

Hutton’s plan to return to the Front Range was thwarted by fate. He found a house in Grand Junction with a space perfect for an art gallery. 

“When I saw that gallery space, I knew it was made for me,” he said. 

Though he hadn’t painted since college, he decided to retire from the cactus business and give art a shot.

NO RULES, NO LIMITS

Nearly 30 years later, 74-year-old Hutton’s extensive and eclectic body of work ranges from his early train paintings to lifelike portraits, vivid landscapes and striking watercolor nightscapes of local landmarks like the old Chief Drive-In and the Cooper Theater—the predecessor to today’s Avalon Theatre.

Hutton’s work spans train paintings, lifelike portraits, vivid landscapes and nightscapes of local landmarks like Mesa Theater, the old Chief Drive-In and the Cooper Theater—now the Avalon.

When he began painting theaters, many assumed it was a particular interest of his, but he explained that he was actually drawn to the challenge of replicating neon signs.

Hutton explained his nightscapes are very different from most art. 

“Almost every instructor will tell you to never use black paint. If you’re not supposed to paint with black, then why do companies like Winsor & Newton—which has been in business for nearly two centuries—sell black watercolors?” he said. 

He recalled one person asking where he bought black watercolor paper because they refused to believe he used black paint.

“It ‘goes against the rules,”” he said. “As an artist, I have no rules.”

Largely self-taught, Hutton thrives on painting subjects or images he’s not certain he can realistically capture on canvas or watercolor paper. 

“The main reason I took on portrait work is most artists don’t want anything to do with it. It’s difficult,” said Hutton. “When someone says, ‘that kind of looks like him’ it means you’ve failed.” 

In 2007, for Grand Junction’s 125th anniversary, Hutton painted a portrait of founder George Addison Crawford, which hung in City Hall for years. His most widely viewed portrait, however, was his massive acrylic of Chief Ouray, displayed above the Grand Junction Regional Airport ticket counter from 2005 to 2018. 

Most of his previous portraits were watercolors. 

His most widely viewed portrait was his massive acrylic of Chief Ouray, displayed above the Grand Junction Regional Airport ticket counter from 2005 to 2018.

“I’ve always had an affinity for Native Americans and their culture. I wanted to challenge myself with something on a large scale and in a different medium,” said Hutton. 

Since three of Grand Junction’s most prominent streets are named after Ouray, his wife Chipeta and the Ute Tribe, Hutton felt he was the natural choice for the piece. On a personal note, though his father was too young to have crossed paths with Ouray, Chipeta was a frequent passenger on his train during his early conductor days. 

A PORTRAIT OF LOVE

Hutton’s most cherished work is a wistful portrait of his beloved Tibetan Spaniel, JohnBoy, who lived to the ripe old age of 16. 

“I’ve experienced a lot of grief in my life, but losing him was the worst,” he said. 

When a friend asked which painting he’d save in a fire, he didn’t hesitate: “JohnBoy.”

Though he painted throughout his teens and sold his first piece at 15 to a classmate’s family, Hutton’s high school counselor convinced his parents there was no money to be made in art. So he majored in political science and English at the University of Colorado Boulder. 

Hutton’s most cherished work is a wistful portrait of his beloved Tibetan Spaniel, JohnBoy.

Looking back, Hutton has no regrets about not pursuing an art career when he was younger. A heaping dose of wisdom acquired along his personal journey has helped him put things in perspective. 

“I’m where I am now because of the way my path played out,” he said.

As for that counselor’s advice? Hutton now sees its flaw. 

“Everything in this world that’s not natural has been designed by some type of artist—whether it’s an illustration, a building or a piece of furniture. Nearly everything has art behind it.” 

To see more of Hutton’s work, visit JimHutton.com or call  970-242-9562.

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