James Abbott News Clippings

There used to be a very interesting artist around this area named James Abbott who delighted in creating historical murals throughout eastern Grays Harbor County, Washington in the 1990s. Much of his work remains to this day, although the ravages of time are already starting to show on his handiwork. Such is the condition of outdoor painting.

I started taking photos of his work with my flip cellphone around 2010-2013 and some of his largest installations since that time have been painted over or the building has been destroyed.

Art is subjective, and some have called his work "downright spooky" or "creepy," while others have described his art as "fascinating" and "splendid."

Personally, I enjoyed watching him in the act of creating his work more than viewing the result of his labors. He wore a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses and sported a stereotypical artist's goatee, while making his act of painting a public performance. It brought to mind Bob Clampett's Beany and Cecil character, Go Man Van Gogh. He seemed to totally enjoy the attention as he painted and looked like he was having fun.

I think I read Mr. Abbott's obituary within the last decade.

Exactly what the TBTG acronym meant after his signature, I can't say for sure, except that I recall it was Christian in nature. Probably "Thanks Be To God."