Chris Jones was born in 1974 in Poole, Dorset.
The natural world is the only subject that has ever inspired his art.
He studied Natural History Illustration at art-college for four years, but confesses he never had
any intention of becoming an illustrator - it was, "simply the only course that would let me
paint my favourite subjects." Unsurprisingly, he immediately set out on a full-time painting
career thereafter.
In the decade and a half since, he has exhibited widely, both in the UK and USA, won awards,
and sold at auction with major auction houses. He has also travelled to a host of exotic
destinations in search of inspiration, including Borneo, India and Africa, and has attracted
many interesting commissions, including major paintings for the late zoologist, John Aspinall,
and a body of work on the dodo, for which he was allowed to handle and study the last remaining
dodo head in existence.
Despite a diverse past body of work, Chris' style of high realism, built up in distinct layers of oil,
has remained a constant, as has his interest in composition and design.
"I love a strong image, be it a dramatic one or just what I think to be a 'perfect moment' -
sometimes something as simple as the way a bird perches. My primary concern (you could call
it obsession) is always to convey the beauty I see, because for me these creatures are the most
beautiful things I can imagine. I suppose within my work there is always a battle between portraying
my subjects as faithfully as possible, but at the same time sort of idealising, perhaps even
sensationalising, them to try and make the viewer appreciate the creature as I do."
In this way, Chris differs from many others lumped in to the genre of so-called 'wildlife art' where a
totally true-to-life environment-based portrayal of a creature is often the only objective.
Chris is as influenced by the technique of classical realist painters, such as Velasquez and the
Pre-Raphaelites, as he is by contemporary artists, like Ray Ching, and it is often this fusion of the
old and the new that typifies his work.
In recent years his interest has focused on the world of poultry, particularly chickens, which he feels may be the perfect subject for him.
"Apart from the fantastic array of breeds that inspire me so, the fact that chickens are effectively 'man-made birds' means they occupy a unique place in our consciousness and give me an opportunity to explore themes as connected with us and our world as with the wild."
Already renowned for these subjects, he has been commissioned to paint specific show-winning birds and rare breeds, and his work has featured in both popular publications, such as BBC Wildlife, The Field and Country Life, as well as more specialist and scientific titles, like Avian Diseases and breed club yearbooks.
Chris currently lives and works in Wiltshire.
Education
1992 -1996 Natural history Illustration Diplomas
Bournemouth & Poole College of Art & Design
Selected Exhibitions
1998-2000 Christies And Sothebys Auctions - Wildlife Art
2000+ The Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition - The Mall Galleries, London
2003 Eastern Jungles to Western Shores - The Cheng-Kim Loke Gallery, Slimbridge
2004 Royal West of England Academy (RWA), Bristol
2004 Art & The Animal, Society of Animal Artists Exhibition, USA
2005 One Man Show, Guggleton Gallery, Dorset
2005 Birds in Art, Wisconsin, USA
2006 ROI Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
2007 Art & The Animal, Society of Animal Artists Exhibition, USA*
2008 Animal Narratives - The Cheng-Kim Loke Gallery, Slimbridge
2008 Chris Jones - Contemporary Animal Painter - john Davies Gallery, Gloucestershire
2009 ROI Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
2011 Art in Action, Waterperry, Oxfordshire
Awards
Winner (Professional Category) - Wildscape Artist of the Year 2007
Gold Award - Wildlife Art Society 2000
International Young Artist of the Year 1998
Collections
Port Lympne & Howletts Estates, Lympne, Kent
Press
BBC Wildlife Magazine
Fancy Fowl Magazine
Avian Diseases Magazine
Birds Illustrated Magazine
Cotswold Life Magazine
Wilscape Magazine
Sporting Tales Magazine
Teaching
Chris is an experienced demonstrator, having taught at workshops and art groups throughout the south of Britain for over a decade.
For details of upcoming events, please click on the Events page link.
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