Robert Jones was born in Cornwall in 1943. He studied at Falmouth College of Art under Robert Organ and Frances Hewlett and later at Manchester College of Art. After a spell teaching in Suffolk he returned to the county in the 1970s and spent several years as a fisherman, catching mackerel in the winter and working lobster and crab pots in the summer. Throughout this time he pursued his life-long desire to paint until a sell-out exhibition at the well-known Newlyn Orion Gallery encouraged him to take it up full-time. He lives in the far west of the county.

The inspiration for Robert work stretches back to the beaches, coves and cliffs of the coast near Newquay where he grew up. Wind-swept trees, the ever-changing light and dramatic weather conditions made a big impression and still form the subject matter for much of his work. His knowledge of the seas and skies of Cornwall allow him to capture all of the elements of the seascape and landscape in a way that few others manage. However, Robert’s paintings also have a strong theoretical grounding. The scale and relative proportions of certain elements within painting, the empty space between them, and the overall composition of the work are equally important considerations.

Robert’s work as been exhibited widely throughout the UK and his paintings are collected nationwide. He is also a renowned author of books on Alfred Wallis and Reuben Chappell and has delivered lectures on these artists around the world. He is a member of the Penwith Society of Artists, the prestigious collective formed by Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson in St Ives.

Back to Robert's paintings.