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 Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Scott is a versatile and vibrant artist. His
diverse talents have taken him from photography and advertising into his current work in illustration and painting. Scott's formal education includes illustration, color and design at Ohio State University and
Columbus College of Art & Design. His work can be found in public and private collections throughout the United States and Europe.
An intriguing aura surrounds the paintings of artist Scott Jones. His
work contains something elusive - a lightness and movement that captures the eye, then the imagination. One's eye lingers on the faces and gestures of the people in his works, leading the viewer to
wonder just who they are and what their lives are like outside of that fleeting moment captured on canvas.
Theatricality is Jones' critical stance; each painting presents a dramatic mise-en-scene. Some
of his paintings present a theatrical panorama in which several elaborately dressed people enjoy a little afternoon wine and some conversation with friends in opulent surroundings, in worlds which
may no longer exist except in the imagination. Other pieces hold an even greater sense of intrigue. The people are fantastically dressed in exotic Italian carnival-style clothing and many are
wearing masks: are they going to a ball or hiding their identities? Background paintings in some of his café scenes add to the heightened sense of fantasy, mystery and intrigue.
Some pieces have a subtly transient air about them, as if the carefree nonchalance of the people
will not last beyond that afternoon or evening. Faces smile brightly and lovers kiss passionately; one senses the transiency of this moment. Jones spends a lot of time working in restaurants, and
after a while it becomes a sort of theatrical role play, you want to get to know the people, but you only have an allotted space of time in which to do it. The concept of immediacy extends itself to
Jones' other paintings, as well, particularly the coastal sunrises and sunsets which he painted while living in Key West. "I like the immediacy of that time of day," he says. "Especially the
dramatic change in color. I always liked to watch the clouds race up from Cuba, over the Florida straits."
Jones' work is deeply influenced by his interest in the Deep South and its people, as well as by
the Cuban people and their culture-the latter being an interest cultivated while living in Key West. "I am very much enchanted by the Deep South, with its swamps, Spanish moss, egrets and the
warm nature of the people," he says. "I'm also fascinated by Cuban people whom I have found to be, in general, a very beautiful people, very warm, vibrant and quite interesting."
Jones' artistic interests range beyond the canvas. Besides working in illustration, primarily for
children's books, he is interested in "getting into theater set design and developing art programs for the elderly and for children." He was the designer of the set panels and a backdrop for
ArtReach Touring Theater's presentation of "Island Son" in 1996.
Despite these other interests, Jones fully intends to keep his main focus on painting. "I want to
keep refining my craft and just keep working at it to experience as many levels as I can," he explains. "My work is very diverse, I'm very involved. I like what's going on in the world, and I like
incorporating those things into my work.
A firm believer in the responsibility of the artist to market him-or herself, he has "created a
market" for himself by successfully exhibiting his work in one-man shows, group shows and juried competitions in New Orleans, Key West, Columbus, Buffalo, and Richmond, Virginia, as well as
overseas. "I participate in a lot of national juried competitions because it's a good way to expose other people to my work, "he says.
ONE-MAN SHOWS
Gingerbread Square Gallery, Key West, FL 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
William-Scott Galleries 1998, 1999, 2000
RJS Galleries 1994, 1995, 1996
Sharon Cook Gallery, Cincinnati, OH 1994
PS Lane Gallery: Key West, FL 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992
312 Gallery at Chamberlain Café Market 1990, 1992
Artreach Gallery - Contemporary Artist Series, Columbus, OH 1988
Contemporary Crafts, Ltd., Mentor, OH 1987 and 1988
The Ohio State University - Means Hall Gallery, Columbus, OH 1985
GROUP AND JURIED SHOWS
The Polonaise Gallery 2000
Figure 15 at the Carnegie, Covington, KY 1997
The Button Gallery: Saugatuck, MI 1995, 1996, 1997
The Male Nude: Contemporary Perspective-Artswatch Gallery, Louisville, KY 1996
Viewpoint '95 and '97 - Cincinnati Art Club, Cincinnati, OH 1995, 1997
International Exhibition – FL Pastel Assoc., Hollywood, FL 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995
Society of the Four Arts - 55th National Exhibition, Palm Beach, FL 1993
Latin and Hispanic Museum of Art, Miami, FL 1993
Degas Pastel Society, New Orleans, LA 1993
East Martello Museum, Key West, FL 1992, 1993
54th Miami Beach Festival of the Arts, Miami Beach, FL 1992
Fifth International Salon for Pastels, Wichita, KS 1988
Fourth International Pastel Salon, Compiegne, France 1988
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