Biography of Gale D Jones

Gale Dean Jones (8/21/1956 - 1/18/2023) was an American artist who spent most of his life in the state of Nebraska and Missouri. Jones was best known for his original technique, "Woven Watercolors,” which involved creating two separate paintings of the same subject but with different colors, cutting each into narrow strips, and weaving both paintings into one composite work.  The end result of this time-consuming process creates an element of suggested 3-dimension and an illusion of motion in the finished piece. Jones completed at least two Woven Watercolor works during a period of legal blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy from March of 1981 through the summer of 1982. One of his works, “The Survivor,” was featured in a national traveling exhibit of visually impaired artists sponsored by the National Exhibits by Blind Artists.

 

From this innovative style, the artist has gained published national recognition and awards. His works have been featured in regional, national, and international exhibits.

 

Early years

Jones was the youngest of six children of Leon Jones and Norma (Holm) Jones.  He was born on 21 August 1956 in Tilden, Nebraska. He was diagnosed with diabetes at age nine. He enjoyed the outdoors, particularly the land around his hometown of Neligh, NE, and Northeast Nebraska. Much of his subject matter reflects his love of nature, agriculture, and the people of the plains. 

 

Education 

Jones graduated from Neligh-Oakdale High School in Neligh, NE in 1974. He began his collegiate studies at Northeast Community College in Norfolk, NE, graduating with an associate arts degree in 1976. Jones attended Kearney State College in Kearney, Nebraska from 1976-1979, earning his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art Education and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a watercolor specialization.  According to an interview in The Eldon Advertiser (vol.88 no.23), Jones said that he returned to Kearney State for the third year of study as a graduate student and decided to paint like he wanted to, not influenced by instructors’ ideas and grades. His supervisors “let me go ahead and take off,” he credits them.

 

His fascination with sandhill cranes began during his time at Kearney State as the Platte River Valley, south of Kearney, Nebraska, is a regular stop of sandhill cranes on their annual migration. Cranes became a frequent subject of Jones’s art. His first woven watercolor was completed in 1979 while a student at Kearney State College. In 1985, he completed the Color Encounter Workshop at Louisiana Tech University School of Art and Architecture.

 

Missouri Years

Jones moved to Missouri after completing his collegiate work in Kearney. After making connections at the historic Dogpatch Gift Shop In Lake Ozark, MO, he found work drawing caricatures. He created $2.00 caricatures for tourists near Bagnall Dam on the Lake of the Ozarks to make a living. Later, he became a resident artist at the 7 Seas Port of Fine Art Gallery nearby. During this time, he met fellow artist Carol Tietmeyer, with whom he was married from 1983-1989.  Initially, Jones lived in a motel owned by members of the Osage tribe. He often paid rent by trading his drawings of the motel owner’s ancestors and prominent Native American figures. His writing and oral tradition indicate great interest in Native American culture and history.

 

Legal Blindness and Vision Restoration

Jones began to experience blurred vision in 1980 due to diabetic retinopathy, which causes blood vessels behind the retinas to bleed. During this general timeframe, he began to prepare himself for a potential life of blindness. In interviews, Jones said he received counseling from the Missouri Bureau for the Blind and had begun to learn Braille. He also noted he was mentally preparing to move into alternative art mediums, such as sculpting, ceramics, or writing, if his vision didn’t improve. 

 

Jones was legally blind from March 1981 until the summer of 1982.  During that period, assisted by an optical-visor and magnifying glass, he completed at least two Woven Watercolors, “The Survivor” & “One Brief Moment…Then Gone” (watercolor ¼” weave). “The Survivor” features a Bison separated from its herd, symbolizing his battle with health challenges and feelings of isolation. “One Brief Moment…Then Gone” shows a Northern Bobwhite Quail taking flight. 

 

He underwent multiple surgeries to stabilize his vision and remove cataracts in both eyes. Jones’s legal blindness ended around June of 1983 after cataract surgery. Though he had significant vision discrepancies between his eyes, he learned to compensate for this difference. He had permanent spots of vision loss where the laser was used in his surgeries.

 

Norfolk, Nebraska Years

In the mid-1980s, Jones moved to Norfolk, NE  where he opened Ravenwood Fine Arts Gallery in downtown Norfolk which he owned and operated for over 30 years until selling the business in 2019.

In 2001 He received a kidney and pancreas transplant at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha, NE. 

Jones died on 18 January 2023 at UNMC following a heart procedure.

 

Woven Watercolors Technique

Around 1979, Jones began experimenting with methods that would later become his signature Woven Watercolor technique. In a January 2016 interview in the Neligh News and Leader, Jones said, “I was studying pointalism and loved the idea of seeing colors (dots), seeing blue next to yellow to make green.” 

The precursors to Woven Watercolor was something he called “Grid Paintings” or “Grid Technique” and a type of mosaic technique. In an artist statement for a show titled “LANDSCAPE-PEOPLE-AND GRID TECHNIQUE,” he described the Grid Technique. 

 

“The last group of paintings I have termed Grid Paintings are my most recent. I moved into the striped technique in order to get a double exposure effect. This technique allows me a variety of different possibilities with which to create, but what I mainly used was combining two paintings which were representational of some object. These two paintings are combined in alternating stripes to create a more abstract finished painting.”

 

The artist spoke to the Eldon Advertiser in Eldon, MO about the “Grid Painings.” (September 24, 1981 vol. 88 no.23): 

​

“It involved taping off vertical stripes of the watercolor paper and making a painting. Then he moved the tape and inserted another work or combination of painting and pencil drawings. In one of his earlier works a study of sandhill cranes was combined with a self-portrait. Jones said the painting represented his hours of trying to creep up on the wary birds for a better view.

Early works were more abstract than Jones wanted. He said although he considers all paintings to be abstractions, at least to a degree, he wanted his work to be more representational of the subject.”

 

On a handwritten note, on the back of his a photo of the crane grid painting containing a crane head superimposed in the middle, he described the grid method;

 

“This was a start to woven painting. I would tape off every ½ inch leaving a ½” of paper to paint on. When paint was dry I would tape over that area, remove tape where (it was first placed) revealing untouched w.color paper. Then I would paint in that area. When dry, remove tape revealing a striped grid. I pencil drew in the crane”

 

There are at least two major examples of this grid technique along with many studies. Both major works feature sandhill cranes. One shows a crain head superimposed in the middle and the other shows a superimposed image of the artists face. Both superimposed images are in pencil on top of the watercolor grid.

 

Jones often remarked in interviews that his new techniques created movement or animation into an otherwise static work. As his methods evolved, he experimented with a type of mosaic technique. He cut paintings into half-inch squares and pasted every other square to make a composite work. This style was a one-painting bridge to the Woven Watercolor works, whose end result has a similar square checkered pattern and pixilated appearance. In a handwritten note on the back of a photograph of his mosaic-style work, he wrote, “Very 1st woven w.color style. Except, this one is the only one I did as a mosaic. I did 2 separate paintings and glued every other square. Quit this style when a buddy came into the apt and (unreadable) pieces flew. Started weave next.” Presumably, a gust of wind scattered his organized layout of ½ inch pieces across the room. He viewed Woven Watercolors as a natural evolution because cutting and pasting half-inch squares in a mosaic fashion or taping off the “grid”  was very time-consuming. Additionally, he believed that weaving made for a cleaner appearance. The Woven Watercolor technique helped works containing brick structures to have the same knobby texture of brick, and the weave breakup in trees and other foliage gives them the illusion of movement in the wind. He experimented with different geometrical patterns and turned intertwined pieces at various angles. He acknowledged this was a period of rapid transformation, stating that it would be difficult to recognize that the same artist had completed many of these works.

 

In his show artist statement titled “LANDSCAPE-PEOPLE-AND GRID TECHNIQUE,” Jones explains that he has begun to evolve from using alternating stripes or mosaics into a woven method.

 

“At the present time, I am involved in a weave technique, which is an extension of the striped paintings. By weaving two paintings together, i hope to create animated motion within the work.

Where my paintings develop from here is somewhat dependent upon past experiences, influences, and those in the future yet to come.”

 

As the Woven Watercolor technique matured, Jones executed two separate paintings of the same subject. Each painting varied in hue and value. He would then cut the first painting into vertical strips and the second into horizontal strips. Many of his most popular works were quarter-inch weaves. Subjects for his Woven Watercolors were sandhill cranes, lilies, midwestern landscapes, self-portraits, portraits, and Native American culture, among others.  

 

Jones has been a guest lecturer on his Woven Watercolor technique in various educational settings. 

 

Sandhill Cranes

Jones painted and sketched many major works and studies featuring the sandhill crane. The works were Woven Watercolor, watercolor, oil, and graphite.  He often remarked in interviews that he spent untold hours, in the weeds, “stalking” the skittish birds as their annual spring migration brought them to the Platte River Valley in Nebraska. He developed a great affinity for their majestic appearance, the sounds of the flock, and impressive courtship displays. Cranes were the primary subject as he developed his “grid technique.” One of his earlier Woven Watercolor works, “Doing the Two Step,” was awarded best of show at the 1981 Missouri State Fair. “Doing the Two-Step” features sandhill cranes in the Platte River Valley performing a mating “dance” ritual. 

 

Native American Art

Growing up on the great plains of America, Jones appreciated the sights, sounds, and people of the plains. In particular, much of his work was dedicated to Native American subjects. In 1976 a graphite portrait titled “Wolf Robe,” featuring the Southern Cheyenne chief was displayed at the bicentennial celebration in Omaha, Nebraska. Over the years, his sensitivity to Native American issues grew and was reflected in his art and writings. These perspectives are illustrated in his July 1979 art show, “LANDSCAPE-PEOPLE-AND GRID TECHNIQUE.” His artist statement for the show read:

The Indian series of paintings provided a different and unusual detour in the progression of my work. I decided on this subject because of it’s longtime appeal to me. The Indian as I pictured him was in reality a fantasy; the strong, gallant, self-sufficient warrior who with wisdom lived among nature’s wilds. The first few paintings fell into this fantasy but rather abruptly I came into a group of paintings which I term “The Massacre Series.”I will be the first to admit that what I have portrayed in these paintings are ugly scenes but they came to me as a very shocking, emotional feeling to which is very real to our society’s history.

 

I did some soul-searching while doing these and I hope you can feel the emotion I felt while painting. It is one thing to read about the atrocity of a massacre and another to feel it. What horror did the children see and what agony was felt by the American Indian? I sought to answer these questions but was only able to try and put myself in a similar situation and feel how I might react. For example, try and visualize how you might have reacted to awakening to the thunder of hoofs and guns. When you walked through the door of your home you were blasted by the agonizing scene of your father’s head turning to mush from a passing bullet or the ghastly screams of your mother. This seems quite grotesque but I could hardly help feeling some of these things and questioning them.

 

I need to point out one more thing involving the Indian series and that is my Indians do not portray any particular tribe or custom. These Indians are a creation of mine which I have painted in order to express my personal feelings about these unique people.”

 

An artist statement for another show read:

 

“The Massacre Series” 

1978

The Massare Series is a group of paintings souly seeking questions about one of this nation's grossest atrocities. These works do not depict any certain culture or tribe. They are a creation of mine to try and understand what happened. For you to attempt to understand this series, try to step back in time. Place yourself in the Indian’s feelings, terror, and confusion as I did while experiencing these eight paintings.

During part of his time in Missouri, Jones lived in a motel owned by members of the Osage tribe. He enjoyed their fellowship and customs. He often traded portraits completed from photographs of the owner’s ancestors and other prominent Native Americans as payment for rent. 

 

Knickerbocker Artists Association - Signature Member 1985

Jones was invited to exhibit his woven watercolor work, entitled “Starring Role,” at the Knickerbocker Artists 34th Annual Open Exhibition. The exhibition was held at the Salmagundi Galleries on Fifth Avenue in New York City, NY. Following the exhibit, in 1985 Jones was notified that he had been elected a signature member. He often included “KA” in his artist signature after that point. He exhibited three times at the Knickerbocker Annual Open Exhibition in New York.

 

The following information is from a 1997 Knickerbocker Artist pamphlet;

“HISTORICAL STATEMENT

Founded in 1947, Knickerbocker Artists - USA is the youngest of the mainline New York art societies. It is a 501-C(3) charitable organization whose purpose is to promote excellence in visual expression. There are currently 271 active Signature Members and 1062 Associate Members. Knickerbocker was the first mainline art society to defect from New York City, which occurred in 1993. The year 1997 marks its 45th open competition, designed to showcase gifted artists to the world. It imposes no artistic dogma and is international in scope. All members of the board serve without compensation.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Signature Membership is by invitation only, based solely on the merit of the artists’ work and their record of accomplishments on a national scale. However, some exhibiting artists will be elected to Signature Membership from the floor of the international exhibition, based entirely on the strength of their work. In the 49-year history of Knickerbocker, only 61 artists have been granted this honor.

An Artist may request Signature Membership after participating in at least three Knickerbocker exhibitions.

Associate Membership is open to everyone.”

 

The organization no longer appears to be in operation.

 

Caricatures & Pet Art

Throughout his career, Jones was known for creating quality caricature portraits. While in Missouri in the 1980s, he sold them to tourists at Bagnall Dam on the Lake of the Ozarks for $2. During his time in Norfolk, Nebraska as the Ravenwood Gallery owner and operator, he created colored pencil caricatures for area residents. Many were for special occasions like graduations, weddings, engagements, anniversaries, or retirements. These works were done on a commission basis and were highly personal in nature. Most featured a detailed and realistic head larger than its cartoon-style body. They were individualized to reflect hobbies, interests, inside jokes, and other features specific to the subject. Most had scripted lists of personalized topics written into the backgrounds and an element of cartoon motion and humor. (Daily News Citation March 22, 1995, pg 31)

Later in his career, many patrons commissioned graphite portraits of their pets. He enjoyed these projects as he was an animal lover. After losing his beloved dachshund, Baxter Boegetti, Jones commemorated that relationship with a reflective and sensitive painting entitled “Baxter in Blue - Hide and Go Squeak” (2002) which contained several hidden symbols. Per the artist's written statement:

“There is so much more I could share with you about Baxter and this painting, like certain hidden symbols, but I would love for you to find your own personal connections.” 

“Baxter in Blue - Hide and Go Squeak” was featured in the January/February 2013 issue of Nebraska Life Magazine.

 

Turkey Feather Series

Jones’s final creative phase focused on acrylic paintings on turkey feathers. This is fitting given his love for nature and the great plains. He would stabilize the feather by taping its back side. The works feature imagery of the great Plain's wildlife. Subjects included turkeys, eagles, pheasants, and midwestern landscapes. He preferred a natural display method for the feathers and often used large pine cones as a display base.

 

National Juried Exhibitions

1983 Crown Center Corporation Kansas City, MO

1983 National Exhibit by Blind Artists Traveling Exhibit

“The Survivor” (Woven Watercolor feat. bison)

-Brooklyn Museum of Fine Art, New York City, NY

-Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT

-Moore College of Art, Paoli, PA

1984 Brand XIII Gallery Watercolor Exhibition Glendale, CA

1984 Springfield Art League 65th National Springfield, MA

1984 West Coast Artisan Inc. Competition Fair Oaks, CA

-Awarded 1sst Place for Self Portrait,

“I See, …A Second Chance” Woven Watercolor

1984 Art Happening of St Louis Association Kirkwood, MO

1984 Crown Center Corporation Kansas City, MO

1984 12th Great Gulfcoast Art Fair Pensacola, FL

Pensacola News Journal 28 Oct 1984 pg 5 “Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival 1984 “Watercolor”

1984 Disney World - Festival of the Masters Orlando, FL

1984 Knickerbocker Artists 34th Ann. Exhibit New York City, NY

at Salmagundi Gallery

Woven Watercolor - “Starring Role” (feat. lily)

1985 An Art Affair St Louis, MO

1985 Knickerbocker Artists 35th Ann. Exhibit New York City, NY

At Salmagundi Galleries  

“There Comes a Day…For Watching and Listening (feat. NE Nebraska landscape)

​

Published Features and Profiles

• PBS in Warrensburg, MO - Televised feat. on Woven Watercolor technique - 1982

• American Artist Magazine - June 1984 Sketches From Life “Gale D. Jones” by Robin Longman

Feat. Artist profile and works including; “I See…A Second Chance” woven watercolor and “One Brief Moment…and Gone,” Woven Watercolor. Also mentions, “The Survivor” and National Exhibit by Blind Artists Traveling Exhibit.

• Nebraska Life Magazine - January 2013 by Matthew Spencer

Feat.  Artist profile and works including; “Baxter in Blue - Hide and Go Squeak” also talks about graphite drawing titled, “Old Jake” (cowboy), and “Jessie,” a Woven Watercolor portrait of a family friend.

​

 

Artists Signatures

Jones used several signatures over the years including:

• Gale

• Jones

• G Jones

• Gale Jones

• Gale D Jones

• Gale D Jones KA (used most often after 1985)

 

Many, but not all, signed works were dated near the signature.