Stuart Jones
Stuart Jones is a ‘plein air’ landscape painter working in oils. He finds working outdoors from nature to be the most rewarding way to capture light effects and life as it happens, creating impressionistic paintings along the Northumbrian coastline. In his work, Stuart is particularly drawn to manmade structures near water, such as watch houses, lighthouses, bridges and harbour scenes, for their visual impact and potential to evoke feeling and atmosphere.
Stuart finds painting outdoors from direct observation requires a decisive approach. His technique of using oil paint wet into wet ensures an immediacy and energy to his brushwork that only comes from responding to the ever-changing light and conditions of the day. This gives Stuart’s work a distinctly impressionistic and painterly quality, with every mark telling the story of the fleeting moment.
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Stuart holds an MA in Fine Art from Newcastle University and a PGCE in Art Education from Northumbria University. His work has featured in The Artist Lounge Magazine and he was the overall winner of the Niall Patrick Memorial Prize at Leicester Art Gallery in 2002.
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Stuart has previously been selected to exhibit at national open exhibitions including D31 Art Gallery in Doncaster and Gallagher and Turner in Newcastle upon Tyne. Stuart is a founding member of a collective of painters, 'Plein Air North East' and has recently organised an exhibition of the groups’ work in Alnwick, Northumberland. His work is held in both public and private collections.
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“I feel most connected to the landscape when I have a brush in my hand, ready to capture that first impression. I see myself as following in the footsteps of the French and British landscape painters that were concerned with making art on the spot rather than in the studio, recording the experience of light, colour and everyday life. This is a constant source of engagement and interest for me. By working from the North East landscape, I hope that the audience feels a connection to my paintings which stem from the places that are familiar to them.”
