Albert James Bonar Jr.

Albert James Bonar Jr. (1947–2013), known professionally as Jimmy Jalapeeno, was a painter and photographer whose work explored landscape, light and the natural environment. Jalapeeno studied at the University of California, Davis, where he earned an M.F.A. (1975) and participated in the experimental artistic community surrounding William T. Wiley and other influential faculty. Working across painting and photography, he developed a particular interest in the landscapes of central Texas, capturing the interplay of sunlight, shadow, color and natural forms. His series Green Austin (1991), comprising six oil paintings depicting Austin's greenbelts and wilderness areas, was commissioned for the city's public art collection and is displayed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. His work was also included in Made in Texas at the University of Texas at Austin. In 2008, he returned to UC Davis for The Return of Jimmy Jalapeeno, an exhibition of large-scale photographic collages at the Richard L. Nelson Gallery. His papers are preserved in the Smithsonian Institution's Archives of American Art.