A Precise Vision: The Architectural Archival Watercolors of Jim Blanchard

Artist Jim Blanchard depicts historic Louisiana buildings—in their full glory, rather than decay. Using watercolor and gouache as his primary media, Blanchard depicts the grand buildings of the past with the precision of an architect, the integrity of an historian, and the hand of a master watercolorist. An exhibit currently on display at the Ogden Museum of Art will be the largest of Blanchard's work to date. Spanning thirty years, A Precise Vision tells the story of one man’s mastery of his chosen medium, of his obsession with the built environment of his home and of his transcendent combination of history and art. Appearing alongside the exhibit SALAZER: Portraits of Influence in Spanish New Orleans, 1782–1802, the exhibit remains on view until August 19. Both celebrate the New Orleans Tricentennial. 925 Camp Street. ogdenmuseum.org.

In conjunction, just released is the book Jim Blanchard’s Magnificent Obsessions, New Orleans Buildings and Residences, 300 Years of New Orleans Architecture. Featuring 250 of Blanchard's architectural archival watercolor drawings of New Orleans, the book has been featured in the Advocate and all sorts of other publications.