Gallery at Somes Sound | Jacqueline Jones
Jacqueline Jones' paintings summon ephemeral moments and emotions inspired by nature. Her rich color palette and lively brushwork capture the scents and sounds of the land: the rushing streams, rolling surf, rustling grasses and salted winds of coastal New England as well as her many travels. Each summer, she paints out West (Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming namely) and has recently painted in Iceland and Norway.
Painting from life, Jacqueline finds her work is not only infused with the elements, but with the people she encounters along the way. Weaving voices and memories into her oils, she often engages the curious onlooker. "I love talking with people when I'm out in the field, taking time to share my love for the land and painting," she says. "They become part of the whole experience. When I reflect on a painting later, I often smile, remembering special conversations and a shared humanity." Underlying this are scenes that offer strong abstract compositions and solid design. Jacqueline is an advocate of 'form over content'. "Whatever the subject matter, I'm energized by the way light reveals essence and form, each creation a unique journey that carries its own emotive signature," she explains.
As a child, Jacqueline studied with local artist Joseph Gionfriddo of Gilead. A former student of Guy C. Wiggins and James Goodwin McManus, Gionfriddo instilled in her a love of traditional oil painting. Jacqueline earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting from the Lyme Academy College of Fine Art as well as an Associate Degree in Illustration from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Her influences include the American Impressionists of the Old Art Colony with a special affinity for Matilda Brown, William Chadwick and Willard Metcalf. She has participated in Telluride Plein Air, Painter's on Location in Knoxville, TN and Hudson Valley Plein Air. The recipient of numerous awards including "1st Prize for Outstanding Work" 2017, 2nd place in the Nautical Exhibition 2018 at the Salmagundi Club in NYC and Peoples Choice Award from the Brinton Museum, Big Horn, Wyoming in September 2020. Recently, Stamford Hospital acquired a number of her paintings for their permanent collection.
In addition, Jacqueline is an instructor for the American Academy of Landscape Painting hosted by the Lyme Academy of Art and teaches painting at the Lyme Art Association, Glastonbury Arts as well as drawing at the Hillstead Museum. In the winter months, she works in her lakeside studio, painting larger pieces inspired by her plein air studies.
Jacqueline's professional memberships include American Artist Professional League, American Society of Marine Artists (Signature Member), American Women Artists, Oil Painters of America, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, The Connecticut Academy of the Fine Arts, The Connecticut Plein Air Painters Society, The Salmagundi Club, and associations in Essex, Lyme, and Mystic, Connecticut.
