"Little Jim" is based on my late Great Granddaddy Little Jim Davenport. He is known for his character, storytelling ability, quick wit, overalls, felt hat, and his one arm.

Children thought he was a cross between Santa Claus and the Boogey Man. Within minutes of being around Little Jim, children would be crawling all over him laughing. It was like he became "Little Jim the Jungle Gym ". He also had the same sort of appeal to adults. Little Jim was just one of those rare persons you felt fortunate to know. Little Jim was not afraid of work either, being a saw mill worker and farmer most of his life.

Little Jim met misfortune at a young age in a tragic sawmill accident on Friday the 13th 1928, when he lost his right arm just below his elbow. Even after this tragedy he never thought of himself as handicapped or that he no longer had choices. The fields still needed to be plowed and chores needed to be done. I can remember Little Jim in the field with Old Dixie (our mule) plowing to this day. Little Jim was the oldest of 11 children, born on May 7, 1883. Little Jim lived to be 93. He pasted away on January 28, 1976.

With all that being said, this is the start of my vision. One morning I woke up thinking about my Granddaddy and I decided that I was going to do a piece of artwork bearing the likeness of him. With nothing more than an old piece of plywood, I cut out a "Little Jim" and painted it up like Granddaddy. Doing pop/folk art was a total new approach for me.

I had been working with photographic realism with my drawings and paintings, so folk art was a new thing for me. When the old timers heard what was going on with Granddaddy and the Little Jim Project they were thrilled to hear that Little Jim was back. Friends and collectors started buying Little Jim's almost as fast as I could make them. Each Little Jim has sayings written on the back of them taken directly from "The Little Jim Storybook of Sayings", a personal family album written by my mother.

People started taking "Little Jim" on road trips, photographing him by state lines, in clubs, with their families and so on. They would email pictures of Little Jim's travels to me and he became an overnight phenomenon. The marketing abilities for "Little Jim" are quite enormous. I am being approached with so many marketing stratagies for Granddaddy that I am sometimes overwhelmed. I'd like to see Little Jim go global and see the establishment of a Little Jim Foundation for children and adults who have been left handicapped due to misfortune.

To think all this started with nothing more than a dream, an old piece of plywood, and the love and fond memories of Great Granddaddy "Little Jim" Davenport. Here is your chance to get involved and become a part of the "Little Jim" Global Art Project.

First you will need to purchase a Little Jim. All Little Jim's are original pieces of art, signed and numbered by me, the artist Al Garnto. Prices start at $35.00. Send me your interesting photos and I will post them on Little Jim's website.

Business and individual sponsorships are available. Sponsors recieve an original signed and numbered Little Jim, official sponsorship on Little Jim's website, and your Little Jim photos with business logo and contact information. Prices start at $100 per month.

I can only imagine all the places Little Jim will go to be photographed. The possibilities are endless and I know the real Little Jim loved to travel. I dream of seeing Little Jim by the Eiffel Tower, by the Egyptian Pyramids, backstage at U2 concerts, and so forth. So what are you waiting for? Send me your pictures of Little Jim's adventures by email to algarnto@gmail.com

Thank you for being a part of my vision and sharing in the "Little Jim" Global Art Project.

Sincerely,
Al Garnto