Mike Jones is my name, I was born in August 1954, in Oakdale near Blackwood, Caerphilly, Wales, and one of four children. I came from a mining family but my Father broke the mould and decided to go into the navy where he met my Mother.
At the age of twenty years I became interested in painting after looking at some of Constables’ work, he really wet my appetite for having a go at art. I asked my parent’s for some art materials as they were at a loss at what to buy me for a birthday gift. When I got these things I was raring to go, I couldn’t wait, and started right away. My enthusiasm took over and I felt the ideas just oozing out onto the paper and canvas that I was using at the time. It is right about artists being moody , it’s because we are not satisfied with what we’ve done and need to put down exactly what we want to see and feel on either canvas or paper, we’re continually learning and passing on what we’ve learnt to others. The one bit of advice I’d like to give to other would be artists is this, don’t get put off by your mistakes, practice, practice till you get what you want, it’s well worth it, it’s a magical feeling of accomplishment, I’m thrilled at the different type of artists around now, they seem as if they are entering different dimensions, to me.
I went to night school locally, and learnt professionally from a very good tutor named Alan. He told me there was no more that could teach me, and I decided I would start a gallery of my own where I painted, done my own framing and book work but had to give it up even though the business was thriving I wasn’t giving painting enough of my time, and so I worked from my parents home for a good while. Work had to stop as life intervened several close deaths occurred which put an abrupt halt to my life for number of years. It was at this time I met my wife, Tracey, and the rest is history as they say.
In the work I do, he mediums of oil and watercolour are used as I have found it easier. The work I do caters to all subject matter such as human and animal portraits, commissions, landscapes, etc…
My work means a lot to me now as I get older, and I get such a lot out of it. Painting from home now is my work, as there are less distractions, and I believe every artist gives a little of themselves every time they pick a brush and paint.
