I have seen James Graham hundreds of time before, while getting my cup of coffee at Perk Up Coffee Shop in Alexandria VA (by the way I love that place). I have always wondered who he was. , If you are dropping your kids at school in Old Town Alexandria or just driving on the GW parkway around 9 a.m., you will find him sitting outside Perk Up. He has a quite peaceful demeanor, a great smile and always has his signature hat on.

Last weekend, I was having breakfast with my wife and kids at Perk Up when I noticed an art collection on the walls. To my surprise, I found out that they were all painted by James. So I decided to go and talk to him which I did. James is not just an artist; he is a man of many talents. He is always a straight arrow. He does not BS.

James is 76 years old now, and he has spent his last 40 years in our great city of Alexandria. He actually helped transform Alexandria during his time here. James moved here from Scotland when he was 36 years old. He was a Ballroom dancing champion and instructor who came to Alexandria to teach ballroom dancing instructors at Arthur Murray Dancing Studios. During the next 40 years of his life, he would help build and restore lots of buildings in the area, Build and own the Scotland Yard Restaurant (Now Eamon’s), judge Ballroom dancing competitions and finally create a beautiful art collection. In 1999, he won the Mayor’s city beautification award for all his great initiatives.

But the most intriguing thing about James is James himself. The age lines on his face reflect a long journey yet a satisfying one. When I asked James about the things he regrets not doing he said two with a smile. The first was not taking the job as the police guard for Bermuda’s Governor after leaving the military in Scotland. “I did not know what I would be missing to sit on the beach in Bermuda for the rest of my life” and the second was when he went oxford to learn Russian to become a spy. He never did become a spy but instead he opened Scotland Yard in Alexandria. He never complained about anything including the stroke that left him paralyzed in 1984. He could not move any of his limbs or talk for months.

You can see James’ soul in his new collection hanging on the walls of Perk Up (at least I think so). His “Castles of Scotland” series consists of about 8 paintings. All of the castles are real but the surroundings are more of an artistic addition. He envisioned what life would be around the castles and created his own surroundings. But honestly what attracted me the most were the colors and the paintings' peaceful reflections.

When I asked James when did you paint your first painting, he laughed and said “When I was a young boy”. “My father was going to a wedding and he wished he had a pair of striped pants to wear” James said “I granted him his wish, I painted the paints for him”. “My dad was furious, I really don’t remember what he did to me?” he added. I asked James, why did you do it?

James replied with a smile “I was fulfilling a demand”.

Perk Up Coffee House
829 S Washington St
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 838-2812