Fred and Nancy Jones of Macomb have been married more than 60 years, and they’ve each been creating art even longer than that.
Yet, they’ve never shown their work together —until now.
Their new exhibit, “Views of Nature,” highlights western Illinois landscapes. It debuts on Tuesday, Aug. 11 at the Macomb Arts Center, 25 East Side Square.
Gallery hours are 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
An opening reception will be held 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on August 18.
The exhibit will remain on display through Sept. 12.
Fred encourages people to visit their local art gallery, see works in-person, and get someone else’s perspective.
“And people can go to the exhibition and say, wow, I never saw that before,” he said.
Nancy concurs. She said she’s not disparaging the internet, but believes seeing a piece of art in-person is much different than seeing it online.
“Not only does it open your eyes in a different way, but you experience it in a different way. So, I think that’s fundamental,” she said.
Both hope their work brings out the preciousness of the land, which they say is right in front of us every day.
“You don’t do them to please yourself. You do them to give people a better idea of what’s going on in western Illinois landscapes,” Fred said. “It’s an interesting way to make a statement about how nice it is, how beautiful it is.”
Fred grew up in Wales, United Kingdom, and Nancy is originally from Pittsburgh, Pa. But they’ve lived in western Illinois for decades, and Nancy said their paintings and drawings are a way for them to show their own perspective of the landscape.
“When I paint with others, we sit side-by-side and we’re looking at the same thing. And I’m not saying that we see it totally different, but certain aspects are more powerful for one person or another person,” Nancy said. “Like all things, there’s usually more than one aspect.”
Nancy said her favorite paintings by Fred are ones that include the sky as a main feature.
“The western Illinois sky is pervasive and impactful,” Nancy said.
Fred said he likes the way Nancy draws.
“I think that’s the best part of her artistic talent. Any drawing has a certain kind of style that other people don’t have,” Fred said.
Fred taught printmaking and basic design for many years at Western Illinois University. His work has been displayed in major museums.
Nancy also worked at WIU. She’s an original member of a group of Plein Air painters, and is a long-time member of the Emiquon Corps of Discovery.
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