Fading, Fleeting, Retreating
James Eads
Fading, Fleeting, Retreating by James Eads
Limited edition of 50 (signed & numbered)
Fine-art Giclée print on cold-press Italian watercolor paper
24" x 18"
Printed by Paragon Press
Artist Statement
The title of the illustration is also something that is very important to this particular piece. While I am working on an illustration I often begin to title it in the early stages and the title develops as the illustration grows. “Fading, Fleeting, Retreating” speaks to many aspects of the salt marsh: more obviously, it is a shifting habitat and as the tide retreats certain species thrive, likewise, when the tide is high others dominate. The physical appearance of a salt marsh can look drastically different depending on the time of day. The title is also about the quality of an endangered habitat: if it is not cared for it will soon just become a fleeting memory, only to exist in those that remember.
About The Artist
James R. Eads was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and began drawing at a very young age. After graduating from high school, James went on to study art at Skidmore College in Upstate New York. While there he was honored with several awards and graduated with a focus in printmaking and painting and the juried award of best senior exhibition in his class. James then migrated to Brooklyn, where he held onto a variety of artistic internships and jobs before moving back to Los Angeles to pursue art full time. In the past two years James has combined his love for printmaking and painting into a single art form: digital painting with an emphasis on high quality limited edition prints. James now runs his own (very small but suitable) printshop where he can print his own high quality giclees and retain maximum control over color and quality.
When everything collides perfectly, he can use his artistic background to illustrate for musically related projects and has since begun to take on gig poster illustration. James has worked with clients such as Phish, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Andrew Bird.
Habitat of the Month:
Salt Marshes
Photograph by Phil Lanoue
Salt Marshes are coastal wetlands that are flooded and drained by salt water brought in by the tides. They are marshy because the soil is composed of deep mud and peat. Peat is made of decomposing plant matter that is often several feet thick. Salt marshes occur worldwide, particularly in middle to high latitudes. Thriving along protected shorelines, they are a common habitat in estuaries. In the U.S., salt marshes can be found on every coast. Approximately half of the nation's salt marshes are located along the Gulf Coast.
These intertidal habitats are essential for healthy fisheries, coastlines, and communities and they are an integral part of our economy and culture. They also provide essential food, refuge or nursery habitat for more than 75 percent of fisheries species, including shrimp, blue crab, and many finfish.
You can help save salt marsh habitats
-
Donate to organizations working to raise awareness and research such as PangeaSeed, Project Aware and Wild Equity Institute.
-
Advocate stronger global and regional action to protect salt marshes and other threatened coastal habitats.
-
Support the establishment and protection of marine protected areas (MPAs).
-
Recommend ecotourism and dive or snorkel with animals that live in these habitats. This offers sustainable monetary alternatives to harmful coastal development and habitat destruction.
-
Think twice before you buy. Do not support the trade of endangered ocean animal products and try to reduce your carbon footprint.
-
Educate yourself, friend and family on the issues facing salt marshes and other threatened coastal habitats. Act NOW if we wish to save our seas.

