The scoop on artist Kenton James

This week, Kenton James is living his dream. He will be inside Scoop Studios at 57 Broad St. painting every day in preparation for his upcoming show, "She Loves You."

For the past nine months, James has been accumulating a new body of work that will be trickling into Scoop this week for the opening reception 5-8 p.m. Friday.

James works by day as a medical researcher at MUSC and paints in the evenings and on weekends.

James, who never formally trained in art, displays photorealism in his oil paintings. His artwork is evocative and possesses a dark passion. Having recently been part of the last two group shows at Robert Lange Studios, Black vs. White and Yellow vs. Blue, James is making a name for himself in the Charleston art community.

On his upcoming show and plans for the future, he said, "In contrast to the paintings in 'She Loves You,' which are all singular figures on negative space, my next series will be layered and compositionally dense, not unlike multiple exposure photography."

James may be proof that it is never too late to pick up a paintbrush and start living the life of your dreams.

more info on Kenton

Web site: www.kentonjames.com.

Next Event: Friday, Scoop Studios solo show "She Loves You," 5-8 p.m. Free!

Contact Info: cartouca@comcast.net.

Birth date and place: March 1980; Appleton, Wis.

Residence: Downtown Charleston, nearly four years.

Family: Wife, Sarah; mother, Lee Ann; father, Philip; brother, Zac; sister, Hayley; dogs, Noah & Fin; cat, Misha.

Education: Bachelor of Science in biological engineering, N.C. State; Master of Science in zoology, Miami University.

Career: Researcher/painter.

Goals: To be a better painter, and to continually progress ... and to be able to quit the day job within the next three years.

book you are reading: "Running After Antelope" by Scott Carrier.

Influences: Life: the good, bad, and even the boring everyday grind; music; my contemporaries, more so than any past artist; and NPR!

Price Range: $500-$2,000.