Synthia SAINT JAMES
Illustrator & Author
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Internationally renowned artist Synthia SAINT JAMES will celebrate her 60th birthday and 40th anniversary as a professional artist in 2009.
According to SAINT JAMES her first birthday present was her fantastic licensing agreement with Barnes and Noble, the nation's largest chain of bookstores. Look for merchandise featuring her artwork in their 800 stores and on their website in February in celebration of Black History Month.
New to her palette is her Tuscany Series, inspired by a recent visit to this beautiful region in Italy. To date the suite includes "A Taste of Tuscany", "Tuscan Sunflowers", "Cypress Grove", and "Autumn Leaves".
She has created a very special painting celebrating the hope that our new president elect, Barack Obama, has already instilled in the people of the entire world entitled "Fire Rainbow Obama". Limited edition giclees on canvas are now available at pre-publication prices.
She will then travel to the Turks and Caicos Islands, to celebrate her birthday and for inspiration for a new series of seascapes, which will be added to her ever expanding Seascapes Revisited Series, inspired by her many trips to the Caribbean, Hawaiian, Tahitian and Fijian islands.
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Synthia Saint James is currently booking speaking engagements, appearances and exhibitions for 2009 a special year for us all.
Synthia Saint James is the perfect speaker for those who are creating a library program for a children's book and want to focus on the illustrations.
For further information including her rates as a children's book illustrator and to book an engagement please call 323.993.5722 or email kikusaintjames@aol.com.
Synthia SAINT JAMES, international award winning artist and designer of the United States Postal Stamp for the Kwanzaa holiday, has to date written and or illustrated 13 children's picture books, 3 poetry and prose books, 4 children's activity books, a cookbook, and a postcard book. She is the recipient of The Woman of the Year Award for the 26th Senate District, and she has garnered numerous other awards including a Parent's Choice Silver Honor for her book Sunday, a Coretta Scott King Honor Award for illustrating Neeny Coming ... Neeny Going, and an Oppenheim Gold Award for the book To Dinner For Dinner, which she illustrated.
Her architectural designs include a 150 foot ceramic tile mural for Ontario, California's international airport, 6 - 9x4 foot elevator doors for a building in California's State Capitol's East End Complex, Sacramento, California, stained glass windows for the West Tampa Library in Tampa, Florida, and a 4x7 foot ceramic tile mural (inspired by Dr. Maya Angelou's poem "On the Pulse of Morning"), commissioned by Gibson, Dunn, Crutcher LLP for Cowan Elementary School in Westchester, California. She was also commissioned to create the 3x6 foot painting that hangs in the Women's Center of Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California.
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SAINT JAMES has completed numerous commissioned signature images for non-profit organizations including the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters (which hangs at the Vulcan Station in Brooklyn, New York), Children's Institute International, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, the Harlem Book Fair, the United Way, and the National Education Association. She unveiled the poster that she created for the Center for Disease Control at the United Nations on World AIDS Day 2005, unveiled the original painting that she created for the Metropolitan AME Church (Harlem, NY) at the Schomburg in February 2006, and unveiled the 20th anniversary painting for the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. in June 2006..
Her paintings grace the covers of over 60 books, including Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale, Disappearing Acts, Mama, and the Japanese translation of How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and Iyanla Vanzant's Acts of Faith, Faith in the Valley and The Big Book of Faith.
In reviews her artwork has been described as "ebullient", "bold", "creates paintings that remind one of Matisse cutouts in their clear line and intense color" and "joyful".
She was honored with the 2004 Woman of the Year Award in Education by the Los Angeles County Commission for Women and she is a proud recipient of The HistoryMakers Award. Fall of 2006 she received both the MOSTE Inspirational Women Award and the Samella Award for her artistry, and designed the "We See You Award". SAINT JAMES is also one of the women included in Dr. Cynthia Jacobs Carter's National Geographic book, Africana Woman: Her Story Through Time.
She most recently completed signature paintings for Children's Institute International's "Project Fatherhood", and Susan G. Komen for the Cure's "Circle of Promise" campaign for which she now serves as a National Ambassador. She is also a member of the cast of M.K. Asante's latest documentary "The Black Candle" which is currently screening worldwide. Barnes and Noble will feature her work for their Black History 2009 celebration in their 800 stores nationwide and on their international website.
SAINT JAMES, a self-taught artist, credits the creator and her ancestry (which includes African American, Native American, Haitian and German Jew) for her artistic gifts.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gershator/Saint James. Tukama Tootles the Flute, New York, NY: Orchard Books, 1994.
Chapman/Saint James. Snow on Snow on Snow, New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1994.
Saint James, Synthia. The Gifts of Kwanzaa, Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company, 1994.
Saint James, Synthia. Sunday, Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company, 1996.
Myers/Saint James. How Mr. Monkey Saw the Whole World, New York, NY: Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 1996.
English/Saint James. Neeny Coming...Neeny Going, Mahwah, NJ: Bridgewater Books, 1996.
Gershator/Saint James. Greetings, Sun, New York, NY: DK, INK, 1998.
Barnwell/Saint James. No Mirrors in My Nana's House, San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Children's Books, 1998.
Williams/Saint James. Girls Together, San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Children's Books, 1999.
Hull/Saint James. "Happy Happy Kwanzaa", Los Angeles, CA: BrassHeart Music, Synthia Saint James Music, 1999.
Nikola-Lisa/Saint James. Hallelujah!: A Christmas Story, New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000.
Mollel/Saint James. To Dinner, For Dinner, New York, NY: Holiday House, 2000.
Saint James. It's Kwanzaa Time, New York, NY: Little Simon, Simon & Schuster, 2001.
Sneve/Saint James. Enduring Wisdom, New York, NY: Holiday House, 2003.
ADULT BOOKS
Johnson/Saint James. Mother's Love, White Plains, NY: Peter Pauper Press, 1996.
Saint James, Synthia. Girlfriends, White Plains, NY: Peter Pauper Press, 1997.
Saint James, Synthia. Can I Touch You: Love Poems & Affirmations, Newark, NJ: Music Quest, 1997.
Saint James, Synthia. Creative Fixings From the Kitchen, Favorite Multicultural Recipes, Port Chester, NY: Persnickety Press, 1998.
Saint James, Synthia. Foreword for Who's Who Among African Americans, 13th Edition, Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 2000.
Saint James, Synthia, Essay in How To Make Black America Better, by Tavis Smiley, New York, NY, Doubleday Books, 2001.
Keynote Reviews
"Your keynote speech was just what the audience needed at the end of a long, though fruitful, day. You had such an upbeat delivery, and your slides added so much. Many people have spoken to us to say how much they appreciated your remarks. Your singleness-of-purpose was what impressed me so much. You devoted yourself to painting even during the years when there was very little public recognition. That was very inspiring to many people in the audience."
Sheryl O'Sullivan, The Univeristy of Redlands
"I have heard Synthia address audiences both large and small. I remember her heartfelt address during Prototypes annual fundraising dinner at the Academy of Motion Pictures. I also recall her stirring keynote presentation to the Black Women's Forum at the Hyatt Regency Los Angeles. I was present for Synthia's tapings for the Life & Times show on Los Angeles' public television station KCET and "Making It" for KTLA, the local WB affiliate. She has been honored many times all over the country; my boss, Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, has presented honors to Synthia. Modest and proud, sincere and strong, hardworking and light-hearted, warm and witty, Synthia Saint James would be a fantastic addition to your bureau. Audiences love her! She is the consummate professional."
Nike Irvin, President, The Riordan Foundation
"When thinking of hiring a speaker there are myriads of notable individuals from which to choose. When we chose Synthia Saint James we couldn't have known, then, how pleased we would be.
Ms. Saint James speaks from a very relaxed and quite refreshing perspective. She draws her audience in and makes them feel as if they have all been long time friends.
Her vast experiences and phenomenal successes were terrific material too, from which to share. She is a warm and determined inspiration."
Valerie J. McCarty, Professional Relations, Marketing Promotions, Neutrogena Dermatologics Division
"On behalf of the Skirball Cultural Center, I am writing to thank you for the outstanding presentation you gave in conjunction with our exhibition Where the Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak in His Own Words and Pictures. As I said in my introduction, our ideal speaker for this lecture was a fine artist who works in a wide range of media and who writes and illustrates books for children. You were the perfect choice!
The audience was very impressed by the video presentation and slides of your stunning work. They appreciated your intimate style and your way of welcoming audience questions. Everyone left feeling uplifted by the experience. Your generosity of time and spirit are truly commendable. On a personal note, I want to tell you what a pleasure it has been to work with you from start to finish. How refreshing to work with such a professional, organized, and most importantly kind person!
We are grateful that the Skirball Cultural Center had the honor of presenting you to the Los Angeles community. I hope that we will have the opportunity to work together in the future."
Amina Sanchez, Associate Director, Program Department, Skirball Cultural Center
"Though petite in stature, Synthia Saint James has proven to be an Amazon in confidence, talent, and creativity. However, the audience that witnessed Ms. Saint James as keynote speaker for our inaugural event, found her to be genuine and real!
Synthia, who authored a book entitled "Girlfriends", graciously agreed to manipulate her fully booked itinerary to attend out "Phenomenal Phemales-Women of Excellence" Girlfriends Retreat, and as one of our participants stated "She simply blew us away".
Never before had I, or many of our guest, attended an event where the keynote speaker comfortably drew the audience in - not speaking at them, but allowing a "participation" style that allowed the audience to ask her questions about what inspired and caused her to produce such profound artwork that is uniquely Synthia Saint James.
Needless to say, Synthia's speech was the highlight of our event, and I want to share with her and the world that we truly appreciate her sacrifice and willingness to share her world-renowned talent with the small groups that may otherwise never be afforded the opportunity to meet someone of her stature."
Evelyn V. Stevenson, Founder & Visionary, Phenomenal Phemales-Women of Excellence
To book your engagement please email tobooksynthia@synthiasaintjames.com or call 323.993.5722.
Click here to learn more about Synthia!
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