Art Adventures takes participants to Jimmie Jones home for plein air painting
By Emily Ronquillo
To continue sharing the legacy and life of artist Jimmie F. Jones, the Southern Utah Museum of Art is offering an Art Adventures program with local artist Arlene Braithwaite at Jones’s home and studio in Rockville on the morning of April 6.
During this program, participants will gain inspiration from nature while creating plein air pastel drawings. Led by Braithwaite, attendees will learn about drawing and composition techniques to capture the beauty of the southern Utah landscape that Jones often painted.
“For a sense of clarity in the moment, nothing beats plein air painting,” said Braithwaite, a pastellist. “Because of the continual movement of light and shadows, painting outdoors requires total focus on the present. While demanding, this process is also surprisingly mentally regenerative.”
In addition to learning plein air techniques from Braithwaite, participants will hear about the life of Jones from Jim Aton, author of “The Art and Life of Jimmie Jones: Landscape Artist of the Canyon Country.” Aton will share details on the history, motivation, education, and growth of the renowned artist.
“Near the end of his 35 years living on Rockville Mesa, Jimmie Jones told a friend, ‘I just paint the view out my window.’ Plein air workshop students will get to do the same, albeit from his front yard,” said Aton.
Jones, who passed away in 2009, was a representational artist who primarily focused on the southwest landscape. His work inspired many other southern Utah painters and artists. Prior to his passing, Jones left his collection and home to Southern Utah University with the vision of building an art museum.
Due to the nature of the event and space available at Jones’s home studio, advanced registration is required, and the event is limited to 18 participants. Pricing is $5 for SUU students and Friends of SUMA members and $10 for nonmembers. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite and includes transportation and supplies. The group will leave Cedar City at 9 a.m. and return around 1 p.m. Inquiries about the program can be directed to experiencesuma@suu.edu.
SUMA offers Art Adventures in the spring, summer, and fall to draw artistic inspiration from the natural beauty of the region. From day trips to meetups, Art Adventures explores various media while exploring nearby parks, monuments, and land art.
