About the Artist: Shelley Jones

I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia in a very artistic family. My parents, Ralph Jones and Gloria Allgood, were first and second chair in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. I was never musically inclined, but I loved to make art from the day I could finger paint. My dad’s diagnosis with Stage 4 base of tongue cancer in 2009 was a perfect example of a curveball from the universe; he was quite the health nut and hadn’t smoked a cigarette in decades. His illness was at its peak before I had even turned 10, and art became the perfect outlet for my emotions. His passing brought terrible nightmares for me that woke me in tears and plagued my daily thoughts. I began to make drawings of my dreams with solutions in them; a drawing of me with a guide dog, or an angel watching over me. This sparked the true beginning of my lifelong artistic journey. Once I realized I couldn’t live without art, I began developing technical skills by watching YouTube videos. I attended Interlochen Arts Camp two years in a row, both times as a Visual Arts major, and later Interlochen Arts Academy for my freshman and sophomore years, again as a Visual Arts major. I trained under working artists and had opportunities to meet leaders of artistic fields. I now attend a small private school in Atlanta and most of my art focuses on interior spaces and portraiture. No matter what it is I am painting or drawing, my goal is always to either further my technical ability or evoke visceral reactions from audiences. Thank you for visiting my website, and I hope even one piece of mine resonates with you in some fashion.