The work of artist Synthia Saint James is now on exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County...both on-line and on the wall... http://www.lam.mus.ca.us/africa/james/ Self-taught artist/author, Synthia Saint James was born in 1949 in Los Angeles, California. Her professional career as an artist began in 1969 in New York City where she sold her first commissioned paintings. Today she is an internationally recognized fine artist. You'll find her work on more than 45 book covers (which includes books by Alice Walker, Terry McMillan, Iyanla Vanzant and Julia Boyd), and on many licensed products including a signature clothing line and a signature line of clocks. Since 1990, she has completed over 20 commissions for major organizations, corporations and individual collectors, including the House of Seagram, Brigette Matteuzzi's School of Modern Jazz Ballet (Geneva, Switzerland), The Mark Taper Forum, The Los Angeles Women's Foundation, Kayser-Roth/Maybelline, Essence Magazine's 25th Anniversary, The American Library Association, attorney Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. and The United States Postal Service, who commissioned her to create the first Kwanzaa stamp, available in October 1997. She has six children's picture books currently on the market, two of which she wrote: The Gifts of Kwanzaa and Sunday (a parents' choice silver honor book) published by Albert Whitman & Company. She will be receiving the 1997 Coretta Scott King honor for her illustrations in Neeny Coming...Neeny Going, published by Bridgewater Books. She also has two books of poetry and prose: Girlfriends, published by Peter Pauper Press and Can I Touch You: Love Poems and Affirmations, and audio book read by Synthia and renowned vocalist Melba Moore, published by Music Quest Entertainment. The book edition, Can I Touch You: Love Poems With Paintings, will be available soon from Beckham House Publishing. And her first cookbook, Creative Fixings From the Kitchen, will be released by Persnickety Press in February 98. She has recently completed a painting commissioned by Coca-Cola for 3The Lady of Soul Awards,2 a commission for The American Dance Legacy Institute in honor of Donald McKayles 3Rainbow Round My Shoulder2 and her seventh children's book Greetings Sun for DK Publishing. Currently she is working on her eighth children's book No Mirrors in My Nana's House, written by Ysaye Barnwell (Sweet Honey In The Rock) for Harcourt Brace and several other projects. Jim Angus New Media Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90007 http://www.nhm.org voice: 213/763-3317 or 213/763-3245 fax: 213/746-2999 eMail: [log in to unmask] = [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] ----------- When they told me I was average, they were just being mean.