"Satire and Fantasy: NH Illustrator Stretches Imagination With His Work" a reprinted article by Laura Pope, Sunday News

EAST HAMPSTEAD--If art, as Oscar Wilde wrote in 1895 is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has know, then the art of illustrator Jim Roldan reveals an individual smitten with a sense of humor, a taste for color and adventuresome spirit.

Although spaceship toys were among his favorite Christmas presents as a child, Roldan says, "A box of 64 Crayolas was always a really big hit with me. That and comic books."

From drawing characters he saw on television cartoon shows, Roldan's artistic inspirations came, as he entered high school, from the richly illustrated pages of comic books. Later, while a student at the Rhode Idland School of Design to earn his BFA in illustration, the Atkinson native says he gravitated toward drawing classes and eventually found all the elements of the art he liked most in children's book illustrations, especially those he was exposed to by illustrators and college professors, Chris Van Allsberg and Lester Abrams.

Taking his cues from cartoons, comics and a select group of illustrators, Roldan has put together a portfolio that shows off his knack for the varied illustration styles. Colorful, cartoony, fantasy images prevail in his portfolio, although various magazine covers and promotional pieces reveal his mastery of the woodcut, caricature, technical and graphic design icon and logo illustration.

After a seven year-stint as a resident illustrator, designer and production artist at Heaven Design in Atkinson, Roldan decided on a career as a free lancer from his home in East Hampstead. As such, Roldan admits his range of illustration styles has made him attractive to a variety of clients, from corporate and high tech concerns to publishing and small business contracts. It has also been a deterrent, in that his style can't be easily pigeonholed by major agencies or national clients.

"It's a situation where my knack for drawing in many styles makes me harder to market than the illustrator who specializes in political caricatures or portraiture. "My clients , who are within an hour's drive from my home studio, like that I'm a jack of all trades in illustration. They tell me what kind of style they want, knowing I can do it. It's an issue of versatility versus signature style."

For now, Roldan seems content to draw in many styles rather than confine himself to a special look.

"I do prefer the cartoony, caricature stuff but I will always like to interchange the styles I use."

Media preferences are varied too. "I tend to use all the toys: ink, watercolor, gauche, color pencil and sometimes pastel."

Typically, the hues coloring Roldan's pieces are vivid to match his antics of this caricatures. Roldan's bold styles are certainly appreciated by many who hire him to illustrate magazines covers, text books, tradeshow backdrops, tarot cards, greeting cards and jigsaw puzzles.

For the King Ridge Ski Resort, the artist designed promotional literature with cartoon versions of Alice in Wonderland characters and color trail map. For a Boston Pops banner design to hang in Symphony Hall he crafted a black and white portrait of John Williams and for the Concord Sports bar, Champions, he rendered a series of portraits of sports legends.

The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra is a steady client also, tapping Roldan's abilities for their subscriber promotion mailers and program covers. Roldan even finds a way to work in his flair for color and vivid facial expressions for high-tech pieces. His take-off on art master Reubens made for a memorable computer magazine. "The Network News," cover in 1991. Pulling an oversize book from a nearby shelf, Roldan displays the art of Arthur Rackham, a turn of the century illustrator who contributed to the golden age of illustration much like his peer, Maxfield Parrish.

"Rackham's vigorous children's figure style has always been a big inspiration to me."

He points to a book containing Celtic art and says that venerable style is another source of imagination as well. Looking at his illustrations, it is easy to agree with Roldan when he says satire is a driving force behind what he does.

"I really enjoy humorous kinds of stuff and over the top stuff that isn't very subtle."