Art and design have been cornerstones throughout Gareth Jones’s life.
After a childhood spent permanently drawing and crayoning, he trained at Flintshire and Loughborough colleges of art, followed by a long and successful career in Graphic Design and Illustration.
In 2010 an inner calling and a major lifestyle change, compelled Gareth to switch lanes to explore the world of fine art, and he completed his first painting in 30 years – in acrylics. Within 2 years he was exhibiting at the Royal Society of Marine Artists show at the Mall Galleries, London.
Five years ago, he laid his hands on pastel for the first time after being bought a half stick set of Unisons as a Christmas present. It was a eureka moment, a seismic change in Gareth’s work ensued but the learning process had only just begun. The vibrancy and quality of pigment coupled with the tactile immediacy that pastel provides, confirmed that Gareth had found his true medium.
He now works exclusively in soft pastel and is predominantly known for his realistic and emotive seascapes, but he is beginning to explore a more diverse range of subjects inspired by the return to his native North Wales in 2018.
Gareth’s work features in private collections and galleries throughout England and Wales. He was elected a member of the noted East Anglian Group of Marine Artists in 2015 and has since returned to exhibit at the Mall Galleries – this time with pastel seascapes. He won first prize in the prestigious North Wales Open Competition 2019 at the first attempt.
Gareth also holds demonstrations and is a popular teacher to workshops where he loves to share his passion for pastels with others.
Next in the series of 'Me and My 5' blogs is Unison Colour Associate Artist, Gareth Jones. Gareth is particularly known for his exquisite seascapes and landscapes, which combine exceptional pastelling talent with an ability to connect with the observer.
Thank you also to Stephen Fuller for passing on the baton, which has given me the opportunity to study all the contributions in more detail than perhaps I would normally find time to do!
