"The Painter Of Colorful Memories"

On January 5, 1961 the artist James Dunbar was born in Phoenix Arizona. At the age of 4 Dunbar's family moved to his Uncle Buddy's goat farm in Independence Oregon.  Life took on great meaning the four year old Dunbar. The goat farm is where young James began to make his first wildlife sketches.

After two years of the farm life the Dunbars moved to North Mississippi St. located in N. Portland. His mom moved him and his two sisters to their grandparents home. Life was a total adventure in the N. Mississippi area. James's Papa  Jack took him to many different small immigrant corner stores for treats on Mississippi St.

By the time James turned 12 the family was on the move again. His mom married James Vaughn; this new step dad would play a big part in young James' art ambitions.

The Dunbar family now lived in a beautiful big house on NE 15th St. and Prescott.

Young James took the last name of his new step-dad. He became known as James E. Vaughn. He would have this new name through grade school at Sabin, Fernwood, and Grant High School.. 

James' step-dad was the driving force of his early development in the arts. Every drawing that James did was paraded around the house, and hung on the wall as if were a masterpiece.. This encouraged James to continue to draw with complete confidence! 

In 1976 tragedy hit the Dunbar family when he was 15 years old. The Stepfather who did so much to motivate young James, was lost in a car accident. This left James feeling very alone in the world.

The family move N. Commercial St. in Portland just around the block from Peninsula Park, as James entered his first year of high school at Grant High in1976.

In 1980 James changed his last name back to Dunbar. He also enrolled to Clackamas Community College to study commercial art. During his college art years James was hired by many downtown Portland Art Galleries to design and paint their hours of business on the front doors. This was perfect because now James was living his fantasy to become a commercial artist just like his childhood favorite artist Norman Rockwell!

Sometimes things change and life happens. The economy took a turn for the worse and in 1982 he left college to take a management job at Arctic Circle Family Restaurants. This new career change would take James away from his art for 20 years.

In 1991 James left Arctic Circle to open his own restaurant named Delicious D's and located in N. Portland. This was a  very successful venture, however the time required proved more demanding than he'd anticipated. In 1996 Dunbar closed the restaurant, took a security supervisory position which gave him time to start back focusing on his art ambitions.

In the 2005 James met his now wife Robyn. They spent a lot of time together walking and enjoying all of downtown Portland. On a particular walk one day he showed Robyn some slides of his African Masai Warrior series. It was at that moment of seeing his colored pencil drawing of the "West African Girl Of Promise"  she seriously advised him to get his art into places that others could see, appreciate, and love it!

Coffee shops like Coopers Coffee, World Cup of Coffee, and Starbucks were eager to showcase his art.  James's Jazz & Blues, and African Warriors series sold off the walls!

After having all the coffee shop success the Dunbars decided try out the Last Thursdays street fair, each month on Alberta St. In NE Portland, which also brought new awareness to his talent, selling originals regularly each month.

Next was the highly attended Street fair in the Pearl District "First Thursday's" held once a month.

The Dunbar's applied and were juried into First Thursday. Met a lot of wonderful people.

It was an incredible six year run of these shows featuring Dunbar's very popular and coveted

"Portland City Lights" series! 

Next level was to secure a position working

 the "Portland Saturday Market". They would go on a heavy increase, showcasing and selling art there each weekend for the next decade.

^The Painter Of Colorful Memories" name was created at the Saturday Market. James's incredible pallet knife textured style along with his wonderful colors turned Portland themed paintings into magic. The art lovers just couldn't and still today can't get enough of these brilliant paintings. Now that Dunbars art style is in high demand the next step was to become part the Portland Art Gallery scene. 

In 2008 James & Robyn decided to walk into nationally & famously known Lawrence Gallery. The gallery creator and owner Gary Lawrence greeted and helped the Dunbars. He took one look at James and said let me guess, your a local artist right? Mr. Dunbar said "Yes"! Then Gary Lawrence said "Do you have samples your work to show me"? James reached into his pocket and pulled out the slides he had first shownRobyn, of the Masai warrior series. Gary Lawrence looked them over with a very seriously judging eye. Then he said "When can you get me some of your art? I'll display your work in the gallery".

Just the words James wanted to hear!

Mr. Dunbar's oil paintings became very popular and well supported at the Lawrence Gallery.

His work would also be featured at the Forever Art Gallery, Pearl District, Portland, Art on the Boulevard and The Attic Gallery, Vancouver, and Camas WA. 

Every step taken was another realization of a dream he had carried.

2020 proved to be a pivotal year, in many ways for all of us. With restrictions due to COVID-19, the Vancouver Farmer's Market became the home base to find James's art. This market was a very big up and coming market, heavily supported by community. The City of Vancouver was experiencing big growth with the development of the new South Waterfront. It was time to become a part or it.

The Dunbars did join the market and are still art vendors at the Vancouver Farmers Market today! Mr. Dunbar didn't give up on the art galleries. You can find his beautiful original works of art in two galleries. One is the very well known and famous Aurora Gallery located on Main St. in downtown Vancouver. The other gallery is the nationally known Portland Art Museum's Rental Sales Gallery located on NW 10th St. Downtown Portland.

Robyn Starnes is the main reason James Dunbar has become a well recognized artist with art all over the USA.

She gave and continues to give him the motivation to reach the stars!