Marie Bagwell
Staff Writer
A father-daughter art team is exhibiting their work at the Leslie Powell Gallery through Oct. 26.
Michael Jones is presenting acrylic paintings titled “New Works,” while his daughter Amy Jones Hundley is presenting Photo Emulsion Etchings of Shelter Dogs titled “A Girl’s Best Friend.”
Jones’ exhibit is a symmetrical show with all of his 12 by 12 inch paintings.
“The eye is moved,” Jones said, “subtly but unavoidably to the place I want it to rest, and to the feeling I want to share. The viewer is caught up in my reverie. When I hold their attention, if only for a few minutes, we are one.”
Growing up, his school did not teach art, but that did not stop him from learning as much as he could. Jones found himself studying art in the school library alone, and by the time he was in the sixth or seventh grade he was already drawing and painting with oils.
“I think I knew when I was 12 years old I was going to be an artist,” Jones said.
Originally Hundley said she had planned on presenting loose line art with images of nature. But one night she decided to draw dogs.
Hundley loves dogs and hopes to give a percentage of the proceeds from the art she sells to Oklahoma animal shelters.
On Hundley’s lunch breaks she would visit the Stillwater Animal Welfare Division, the Stillwater Humane Society and the Perkins Animal Shelter.
Hundley said she visited with the dogs on her own, gave the dogs treats and got to know them. She said she spent time with several dogs that were owner surrenders.
“It was a really moving experience,” Hundley said. “All of the dogs were really cool, really sweet and really soulful.”
Hundley first took digital pictures of the dogs and then sketched them based on the photographs.
“I enjoy blending digital and traditional mediums, and enjoy combining my two great loves: animals and art,” Hundley said.