James Littles of Hempstead, Long Island, N.Y., a summer resident of Oak Bluffs for 50 years, died on April 29. Born in Hempstead in 1929, he was a professional artist for over 30 years, excelling in several art forms — basketry, the engraved decoration of gourds, and photographic retouching.

Jim’s training in art began as an eighth grader, when he responded to one of the Draw Me advertisements sponsored by the Art Instruction School. After graduating from Hempstead High School, he worked at an art engraving shop, concentrating on illustration. This was followed by study at the Arts Students League a nd the School of Visual Arts, both in New York city. Later he became a leading photo-retoucher in New York and in metropolitan Washington, D.C. His clients included Vogue, Life, National Geographic, and U.S. News and World Report magazines, and PBS and Mobil Oil.

As a master of the art craft of basketry, Mr. Littles was invited to Nassau by the Bahamian government to present a workshop at the Nassau Technical School. In the mid 1990s he gave workshops on basket weaving at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. On the Vineyard, he was a regular exhibitor at the Grange Hall, the annual Vineyard Artisans’ Holiday Festival and the African American Cultural Festival sponsored by the Cottagers.

Basket weaving was a skill that slave artisans brought from Africa. This weaving is still practiced in the South today. Mr. Littles went south in 1988 and learned the technique in two weeks. His instructor was a 96-year-old descendant of plantation slaves who learned the craft from his ancestors and was ready to pass it on to Mr. Littles. His baskets constructed from white split oak were both decorative and functional in the African tradition.

Of his basketry, Jim wrote: “My baskets express my effort to emulate the qualities of sacredness, spirituality and survival in my own life. I feel the creation and use of handmade things is of primary importance to our well­being. By understanding how something is made, we gain self-esteem and a broader understanding of our place in the world. Expressing a tradition such as this and selling the finished works is a way that I can communicate my understanding.”

When a friend gave him a Vineyard-grown gourd, his creativity found a new venue. He did incredible things with gourds — engraving them with African and Indian styles and symbols and embellishing them with beads, feathers and pine needles.

In recent years, Mr. Littles wrote and illustrated a book for children, An Otter Called Max. Always interested in otters, he traveled to Monterey, Calif., in the late 1980s to study otters in their natural habitat. His story about otters is for children between seven and 10 years of age. It was printed in June 2010 by Tisbury Printer in Vineyard Haven. His wife, Delores, a former photo editor at Time-Life, greatly encouraged Jim’s literary venture.

In addition to his artistry on the Vineyard, Mr. Littles loved fishing, clamming, cooking (baked clams) and playing golf at Mink Meadows Golf Club, where he was known for his rhythmic and smooth swing.

James Littles was the son of James Littles and Bernice Shine Littles and was married to Delores Allen Littles for 55 years. In addition to his wife, he left a host of friends on Martha’s Vineyard and in greater New York.

As a celebration of his life and service at the African American Museum of Nassau County, Hempstead, N.Y. on July 10, 2010, James Littles was remembered as . . . a devoted son, husband, brother, uncle, godfather, cousin and a cherished friend to many. He was a multifaceted artist, painter, basket-weaver, gourd and jewelry designer; a poet, storyteller, cook and golfer. Whatever the role, Jim approached it with compassion, commitment and love. When his big, warm smile came your way, it made you feel special. A brief encounter revealed what an extraordinary person he was. Jim loved life and lived it well. He brought joy to others through sharing his art, his home and especially himself. Jim was a rare human being, unique and unrepeatable.