Jane Jones American

Jones is a Denver native and continues to live near there at the foot of her beloved Rocky Mountains, where the light that she loves is bright and clear, and the seasons, which influence her work, are definite in their character and moods.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 1976 but chose not to work in that field.  She says of the education that “looking into the lives of cells, plants and animals gave me a glimpse into the awesome power of living things and an incredible respect for them,” which informs her work today.

Later, Jones graduated from art school and went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in Art History, which she taught at two colleges in the Denver area for over 20 years. Through art history studies, she came to know the lives and styles of many of the master artists of the past. Two artists whose work has influenced her are Michelangelo, for his dedication to his work, clarity of composition and communication, and the paintings of Johannes Vermeer, which have influenced her aesthetic of light in her paintings as well as her technique. The Dutch still life and floral masters have enriched Jones’ sense of historical roots in subject matter. They remind her that an appreciation and aesthetic of beauty in ordinary things has a long and rich tradition.

She has embraced these historical influences, but it is her belief that each artist must be of their own time and place. Jones uses these influences to create paintings that are contemporary and based in her own aesthetics, beliefs, and life experiences. Her art reflects her academic studies as well as her passion for the power, beauty, and fragility of life.

Jones’ work is exhibited nationally in museums and galleries, and she has a traveling museum exhibition that is touring the country called Cultivating the Dutch Tradition in the 21st Century, Jane Jones’ Hyperrealist Floral Paintings. Her paintings have won numerous national awards, including the Award of Excellence in Blossoms II: Art of Flowers at the Naples Museum of Art in 2011, and the Floral Award in the Annual Exhibition of the International Guild of Realism in 2013 and 2018. She is the author of Classic Still Life Painting.

Statement

"The short statement is 'Every painting is a prayer for the preservation of nature and this beautiful planet upon which we live.'

Light invests my flowers with energy and liveliness. Their transitory nature makes the moment an occasion that deserves to be appreciated, savored, and remembered. Throughout the painting process I remain aware of this and invest the painting with my experience of that moment of exquisite beauty.

As the gardener of most of the flowers in my paintings, I have a deep appreciation for all of their life cycles and the fleeting moments of the beauty that occur. Having such a close connection to the plants and flowers that I paint, and watching the changing climate in which they grow, presents me with an urgency to paint them in the most compelling ways that I can because I might not be able to grow them in the future."