John Jones was born in Columbia, S.C. in 1950. He has been drawing since his childhood. Jones graduated from high school in 1968 and has been an illustrator and a freelance artist for more than 20 years. In 1970, he drafted into the U.S. Army and took illustration classes in military School while serving in the Vietnam War. Jones uses watercolors oils, and acrylics for his painting. Some of his former clients include Time Life Books, Gadded Space and Flight Center, Westinghouse, the U.S. Postal Service, IBM, Rubbermaid, and NASA. He strives for detail in reflection and light. He starts by drawing each painting first, and then layers it with color resulting in very realistic landscapes and interpretations of everyday life, as well as historical insights into the past.
Jones’ recent published works include "the Charleston Farmers Market" and "The cover of the Charleston Area Visitors guide." His paintings are available at Gallery Chuma in Charleston, SC and the Rita Smith Gallery in Columbia, SC. Jones has lectured widely as a motivational speaker, an artist and an activist at various colleges and universities, corporate events and conferences. Framed John Jones art can be found in several institutions throughout the world. Jones’ work is represented in several public and private collections including The College of Charleston, the City of Charleston, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site, and Benedict College. He has received several awards, including 1999 Piccolo Spoleto Festival Art Show and merit awards for his works in the 1998.
