Under The Firelight Painting

I have been painting for over twenty years, working mainly in oil paints. I also use watercolour, charcoal and pencil. I was born in the West Midlands, England, in 1978, and currently live in the elegant town of Leamington Spa. Whilst studying Philosophy and Mathematics at university, I painted in my spare time. I had my first solo exhibition at the age of 23. Over the years I have come to cherish the works of Paul Klee, Jacques-Louis David, George Grosz, Juan Gris, Jannis Kounellis, Lotte Laserstein, Christian Schad, Fra Angelico, and Otto Dix, to name but a few influences. At age 28, I studied a MA in the History of Art to broaden my understanding of subject. I came to learn about semiotics and post-modernism, art in a social context, feminist art-history, and many other aspects art how meaning in art is generated. I am a member of the LSA (Leamington Studio Artists) and have written for their excellent quarterly magazine Artspace. I am also a member of Impact Hub Birmingham, a lively collective of artists, social change-makers and entrepreneurs attempting to make a positive difference in the communities of the Midlands. As far as official qualifications go, I holds an MSc in Art History from The Open University and a BA (Hons) in Mathematics & Philosophy from The University of Southampton. I have enjoyed many travels, including trips across Russia and Siberia, China, Japan, and the USA. I am also a writer of fiction (novels, short stories) and non-fiction (art history, philosophy, reviews). Visit chrisjoneswrites.co.uk for more.