Orlando’s Stewart Jones will be the first artist featured at the new home of Ocean Art Gallery in Flagler Beach. His one-person show, “Documental Environments – From Shore to Shore,” will run from February 5 to 29, with the artist’s opening reception on Friuday (Feb. 5) at 6 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
Ocean Art moved to 206 Moody Blvd. (State Road 100) in early January as part of its 2016 plan to present artists in a more artistic environment than its former location. (Rent at the former location had also become too dear.) The architecturally designed art space offers an attractive setting for all mediums, lending itself to Jones’s plein air watercolors.
Jones explains his term “Documental Environments” this way: “I create paintings to document today’s environment because much of our land and architectural buildings may not be here for our future generations to see.” He said “From Shore to Shore” refers to the theme chosen for his February show because most of the paintings selected were created along the shores of beaches and lakes from Charleston, S.C., Central Florida and the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Born in Panama City, Fla., Jones moved to Ohio as a youth and later attended Ferris State University in Michigan, where he studied commercial art and oil painting. After college, Jones welcomed the chance to return to Florida and lost no time rekindling his passion for the abundant Florida landscapes. He immediately set out to capture in watercolor on paper the variety of natural beauty of Central Florida.
As the years passed, Jones’s artwork became recognized throughout the state. His paintings today are in private collections across the United States and in other countries. From his Sanford studio he continues to expand his subjects by traveling throughout Florida, the Carolinas, Tennessee, New England and the West. You can keep up with his recent works, and his commentaries, on his Facebook page.
“Painting my subject in watercolor should enhance its beauty and show the endless variations of watercolor techniques I have applied to the paper,” Jones says. “The most important thing I have learned is to have my own uniqueness of vision.”
Jones is a member of the Florida Watercolor Society, Plein Air Florida, and the Central Florida Plein Air Artists. He previously served as the president of the Central Florida Watercolor Society. He will demonstrate his painting style during the art opening and happily discuss his art with interested guests. Light refreshments and live music will add to the festivity.
Flagler Beach’s “First Friday” event will take place across the street at Veterans Park and everyone is invited to the Art Opening. The gallery will provide a Flagler Beach police officer at the pedestrian crosswalk on Moody Blvd. to control vehicle traffic for the safety of those coming to the gallery from the Veterans Park area.
