The Coronation of the Virgin, after Velázquez Print

David Robert Jones BA hons I explore compositions and imagery of the great European painters of the High Renaissance and Baroque periods. My aesthetic has been informed by research into the historical context and technique of these masters yet in style is expressive of a contemporary sensibility and a playful enjoyment of the medium of paint. I paint people in staged looking situations and make use of furniture, clothing and other props that provide a range of surfaces and textures for me to copy. I frequently insert animals or models of animals that have a historical relationship with humanity. I sometimes insert myself into my paintings in reflections or as a spectator/ voyeur (devices also used by Caravaggio, Velásquez and Rembrandt).  The starting point for a painting or series usually originates from a simple desire to paint something I have seen like a sky, interior, item of clothing or a person whom I have noticed. After that I can develop narratives, relationships and jokes that enrich the narratives of my paintings and allow for me to explore and articulate themes that occupy my imagination.