As a young artist, James Cromartie's major patron was the Late Nelson Rockefeller, who introduced him to the art world. Since then, he has become America's leading hard-edge realist and one of the nation's leading historical artists. Other patrons include Tom Brokaw of NBC News, The Late Roger Firestone of Firestone Tires and Luther Hodges of the National Bank of Washington.
James Cromartie is credited with introducing the style of hard edge realism into the art world. This style of painting is done in acrylic paint on wood panel and depicts all objects in the composition in exquisite detail. The resulting work is both dynamic and serene, in a style reminiscent of those of Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth.
Principal among his historical work are "The U.S. Capitol" and the "White House", which were chosen by the U.S. State Department to hang in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow as symbols of democracy. This honor was particularly meaningful because his fourth great grandfather was James Hoban, the architect who designed the White House. He was also commissioned to paint the Smithsonian Institute's castle, and prints of this painting are presented as gifts by the Smithsonian to visiting dignitaries.
His work has met with overwhelming success in one-man shows across the United States. His paintings and prints are represented in collections in 125 countries around the world.

"James H. Cromartie, with his Hard Edge Realism, projects a bold striking statement that offers many levels of interpretation. It is not realism as we know it. The work is quiet, elusive, and tranquil. The brilliant handling of light, the impeccable technical qualities, the serenity of content…so profound, yet so simple, so painstakingly rendered. A magic world, Cromartie's world plucked from the past, frozen in time.
Brilliance cannot be defied, nor genius denied. It is all here. James Cromartie's Hard Edge Realism has received well deserved recognition and praise across America. What Grant Wood, Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth, and many others have done, artistic evolution it seems, has granted us something more."

Paul Chelko
Art Critic, Atlanta Journal