The Art and Life of Jimmie Jones

Book excerpt: Landscape Artist of the Canyon Country Winner of the 2016 Evans Handcart Award While this beautiful book showcases the fabulous artwork of renowned Utah landscape artist Jimmie Jones, it also delves into his history, motivation, education, and progression as an artist. Author James Aton, through his meticulous research and writing, weaves an interesting and in-depth narrative of Jones' life, accented with archival photographs, to accompany the numerous art images. The art presented in this book begins from Jones' childhood, crayon colorings saved by his mother, through his portrait period, including works from the fourteen winters Jones lived in San Blas, Mexico, to images from the years he spent painting various views of the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and the other exquisite canyons of southern Utah. The Art and Life of Jimmie Jones will be a valued addition to any art lover's book collection. JAMES M. ATON is a professor of English at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah. He is the author of John Wesley Powell and Jim Jones: The San Blas Years and the coauthor of River Flowing from the Sunrise: An Environmental History of the Lower San Juan and The River Knows Everything: Desolation Canyon and the Green.