Monty and Marty Jones at Gaslight Art Colony, Marshall, Illinois

Article by Gaslight Art Colony

Gaslight Art Colony in Marshall, Illinois, is pleased to present Monty Jones and Marty Jones for the June show! The June show opening is on Saturday, June 16th from 5:00-8:00 p.m. CDT.

This father and son pair paint and photograph their passions. Monty Jones had a deep interest in drawing and painting from a very early age and he actually subscribed to a mail-order art course in his younger days. He never quite completed the course due to growing family commitments and working twelve hour days in the printing industry. So his artistic desires were put on hold until retirement at age sixty.

Monty was one of seven original founders of River City Art Association about nine years ago [fall of 2008] has been very involved in all their activities over the years. This has led to being involved in Gaslight and several other art organizations in this area

“Outfoxing the Hounds” by Monty Jones

Monty likes to draw and paint all things that he may be passionate about, which includes a lot of subjects. He is probably best known for his wildlife art, but due to involvement in auto racing and automotive interests he really loves to draw and paint cars. Monty has been in several exhibitions and art shows up and down the Wabash Valley and Indianapolis area.

Monty joined Indiana Wildlife Artists in 2011 and has won several first and second place awards in that time. Monty has also been a member of Covered Bridge Art Association for several years [associate member].

He works out of a studio behind his home in Terre Haute, and has been married to his wife, Phyllis, for over fifty years. They have three adult children, Marty, Robert, and Barbara.

Owl by Marty Jones

Marty is a 53 year old photographer living near Terre Haute, Indiana. “My father, Monty “Indiana” Jones, has always been the real artist in the family!” By studying his paintings at an early age, Marty became interested in art and photography. To this day he likes to study famous paintings to be inspired, gain ideas, and improve photography skills. He has been taking photos since his parents gave him his first Kodak camera at age eight.

Marty’s occupation is working as a Regulatory and Safety Consultant in the Electric Utility Industry. He learned to operate a camera through practice or trial and error. Today, he continues to learn photography and software by watching some of the widely available video tutorials and blogs. During the day Marty photographs nature and wildlife. In the blue hour and afterwards he likes to photograph by light painting street scenes, abandoned buildings, and old cars.

Many of the photos subjects he will have on display at the Gaslight Art Colony are of birds. There have been times he have sat in a blind all day to photograph a single bird. To date, he has photographed 334 different bird species within the state of Indiana. Many of the birds photographed are extremely rare for our area. He likes photography that challenging and obtaining bird photography perfection meets that challenge.

Photographing birds opened a lot of doors for him. For example, Marty met his wife Stephanie thanks to a photo he once took of a Blue Grosbeak. It also has allowed him to develop many connections and friendships with birders and bird photographers from around the world. Marty also very involved with our local and national land trusts. He does everything he can to help protect our native birds and the habitats they depend upon to survive. His ultimate bird photography goal is to encourage the viewer to become more aware of what is often so easily overlooked and under-appreciated.

Many of his bird photographs have been printed and distributed in state, national and international publications. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, The Philadelphia Zoo, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and many different Land Trusts use his photos for advertising and educational purposes. Marty has always donated bird photos to any non-profit organization that uses photos for the good of our native birds.

Be sure to register for a chance to win a free children’s class at the opening reception. An adult may register for a child’s class to be given away in the form of a drawing. A coupon to the supper club is also given to everyone who comes to the opening.