Ian Jones

I started painting in earnest in my second year in college.  The punk rock band I was in stopped making music, and I turned to paint as a creative outlet.  For the last decade, I have been working as a scenic artist working on large-scale projects for Disney, Universal Studios, and different museums across the country.  I call being a scenic artist the art department for a construction company, as the projects have many hands in the process.

On my second return to college, in 2008, I pursued painting, and it is here that I stumbled into the ceramics studio. This is where my life trajectory changed, and I dove into pottery. I have been making pottery ever since. I enjoy balancing these two mediums, as they are very different in process. At some point, I will combine my work as one, but I’m still enjoying keeping the styles different.

I recently completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2023.  Upon completion, I wanted to change careers and move into either glassblowing or production pottery.  I am currently working as a production potter and doing work for Wolf Ceramics in Hood River. I am enjoying this challenge immensely, and it has made me a better potter.

My current body of painting has been exploring nonrepeating patterns, repetition, and how the use of bright colors has the ability to affect your nervous system in a positive manner.  The sunburst motif and colorful rays have been an ongoing theme in my work for the last five years, and it has everything to do with my emotional development as a person.  I was in a dark place for a long time, a jaded shell of who I am now.  These paintings are a reflection of that change as I continue to celebrate my life by living in the moment and setting my intention to be a joyful person.

Waiting for Spring ~ Ian Jones