Greg Jones: Painter of Birds

Occasionally I mention my dear friends Sandy and Greg in this space. Sandy was a coworker of mine, and her husband, Greg Jones, is a fine artist. Greg retired from a very successful advertising career in New York to paint and carve in sunny Florida. In this posting, I'm going to feature his bird paintings, images I've grown to love through years of visiting, and many delightful dinners.

Click to enlarge

This painting, Toucan and Papayas, is one of my favorites. It's so evocative of things tropical and exotic, and I like the atmospheric quality it has. When I paint, I tend to bring everything into sharp focus and I want to give everything a sharp edge. Greg, however, paints images as our eye actually sees them. Look at the leaves in this painting and you'll see the brushwork of someone who has spent a lot of time observing nature.

Blue Jay 1

The blue jay reappears throughout Greg Jones' paintings. The feisty bird is a member of the crow family and is common in Florida. Greg has shared an interesting fact with me about the blue jay, which is that it actually isn't blue! The blue jay has gray feathers that refract light so that they appear blue.

Blue Jay 2

This painting of a blue jay captures the bird's attitude so well, we really could call it a portrait. A whole class in composition could be taught around this painting — look at the interaction and balance of the pot's ellipses, how the watering can spout is mirrored by the leaf next to it, how the bird is framed in a darker negative space, how the most intense color of the furthermost pot approximates the complimentary color of the bird and points to it — and I could go on. A great painting of rhythm and balance!

Mourning Dove

The high-contrast background of this painting is atypical of Greg's paintings, but it really highlights the soft green leaves that were the inspiration for the work.

Spectacle Owls (Panama)

Click on this painting to enlarge it and appreciate the detail. It's another painting of great atmosphere, and always gets the most comments from visitors to Sandy and Greg's.

But I've only shown you one side of Greg Jones' work! In my next posting, we'll look at Greg's bird carvings.
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