Colored pencil art is rarely seen, and when it is seen it is likely not recognized. There is a unique quality about colored pencil art that gives the work a stunning vibrancy and sense of realism.

Jim Wonderling, working in a studio at Awakening Fine Art on the square in Dahlonega, is one of a handful of color pencil artists in the Southeast. He masterfully creates images of nature, people, buildings, vehicles, and pets, capturing the gradations of a dog's muzzle, the nuances of a bird's feathers or the complexity of a motorcycle.

Starting as a child making graphite pencil drawings of the "draw me" suggestions in the art school advertisements in magazines, he evolved into portrait art, his livelihood after high school graduation in Wellsville, N.Y. His passion, however, was racecars.

Jim lived near Watkins Glen International racetrack, home of one of the world's most famous Formula 1 races. In 1973 he took both pencil and pastel art to "the Glen" to see if he could sell some of his work. Not only did his pieces sell quickly and for more money than he could imagine, but his career was launched. Wealthy racing team owners and drivers recognized his talent and wanted his work.

Jim was invited abroad to international Formula 1 racing events and created one-of-a-kind art pieces. He reached fame quickly. Before long he had shows in Nice, Monaco, and Venice.

Still, in his 20's, Jim was busy creating showpieces, consignment art and art illustrations for sports car magazines. His work made a bold presence in the magazines of the time.

Jim's art career has had several manifestations over the years.

By the early 80's, he had begun procuring European art and selling it, along with his own work, through galleries in the United States.

His art and racing passion led him into formula racing for four years. He was the Sports Car Club of America novice driver of the year in formula F440 racing in 1989. In 1992 he won the pole position at the U.S. Nationals held at Watkins Glen. He says he lived his dream of racing during those four years and left racing at the end of the 1992 season.

In 2009 an artist friend and mentor gave him his first set of colored pencils. That gift launched the current phase of this artist's career.

Jim's colored pencils are not the same as those associated with childhood and school. He uses art pencils that resemble the traditional pencil, but are filled with waxy, pigmented material similar to what is used in crayons. Several manufacturers make hundreds of colors, offering the artist over a thousand different shades.

Jim uses the pencils of all the manufacturers as he says each one has different characteristics. There are slight color differences even for the same color, a difference in the hardness or softness of the pencils and a difference in the texture of the waxed color. He says he always keeps his pencils sharp so he can draw the delicate crisp lines that are distinctive to his work. He only uses Bristol vellum art paper.

Each of his pieces has many colors that are created by blending colors and layering colors on top of other colors until the desired color, color density and texture achieved. The touch and pressure of pencil on paper is critical in achieving the desired outcome, he emphasizes.

One small piece of art can take a hundred hours, according to Jim. Large pieces take 150 hours or more. The texturing and layering of the colors is a tedious process that requires patience but produces vibrant paintings.

For this artist the subject does not matter as he says he enjoys drawing all things and never draws the same thing twice The challenge, he says, is how to replicate the intricacy of the original object.

"I'm a detail freak good is never good enough, excellence is occasionally acceptable and perfection is the only goal," Jim said. He quickly followed by saying "Perfection is never reached."

Jim Wonderling has lived in Dahlonega since 2012 and has enjoyed the collegial art community and the response of visitors to his art. His work can be purchased at Awakening Fine Art or from his website at www.mywonderart.com.

This national award-winning artist career has spanned 40 years and his work is unique to the art scene in Northeast Georgia. Drop by and visit him; you might walk away with either an original or a print of his striking work.

Story By William D. Powell