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Georgia Jones ~ Artist and Writer
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Georgia Jones' Art
Right out of high school, Georgia Jones was declared by the curator of a large museum asked to assess her early sculptural works to be "the most talented amateur" he had "ever seen." She was immediately enrolled for advanced, hands-on art instruction with a well-recognized local artist. From there she joined a group of other artists, both established professionals in the Washington DC art scene and up-and-coming new artists like herself, in a studio/instruction program. In that setting, in the early 1970s she was able to develop her skills and experiment in new materials and techniques just coming into use at that time: laser optics, plastics, constructional and experimental sculpture. In spite of this exploration, most of her shows, which included one person as well as group shows, focused on her work in clay: natural and porcelains.
Georgia Jones was fascinated with natural clays and quarried, processed, and fired her own. These pieces were some of her most unique because they combined the ancient traditions of primitive sculpture with her highly refined sense of modernity. Her large commissions of this period, some publicly funded, were generally cast in traditional materials such as bronze and aluminum.
By the late 1970s, it was apparent that something was wrong with Georgia Jones' hands and she was diagnosed with an unusually severe form of carpal tunnel. By the late 1980s, after several surgeries and physical rehabilitation, she was diagnosed as permanently disabled as far as her artwork was concerned. Expecting that she would never have adequate strength or fine motor skills to be able to sculpt in her original style, Georgia began a new exploration into materials and techniques. She found that, with the aid of computers, scanners, and other technology, she could develop her graphics arts skills, so, between 1980 and the present, she used these techniques to draw two successful comic strips, design over 20 book covers for publishers, and do myriad other commercial design and art projects. Since 1995 Georgia Jones has used technology to create art and enhance communication through the Internet, developing new technological uses, especially in the area of audio which earned her the appellation "Internet Pioneer".
Jones has recently begun working again, both in clay and in a new group of materials: metal and glass. This new work has the same strong line she was known for in her early years but shows the maturity of her experiences between those earlier efforts and today.
- Georgia Jones' Writing
Everyone has those days--where life spirals downwards and all in all just seems to have it out for you. Sometimes you need some indulgence to keep yourself sane. "Isabella's Appetite" follows one woman's dive into a particularly horrible day where the only hand hold she can find to avoid plummeting into the abyss is food. Memories call themselves up, about her husband, her children, mother, sister, and many others--and food to keep her stable as she sorts her mind through all this chaos. Deftly written with a greatly realistic character, "Isabella's Appetite" is highly recommended for community library fiction collections with a focus on chick lit. ~Midwest Book Reviews
From 1994-1997 Jones authored a weekly Internet column for Women's Wire® (later Women's Wire® on CompuServe®).
In 1992 two of her plays, "A Stitch in Time" and "The Usual Suspects" (retitled "Dying for Prime Time" and currently availabel at MooseMeals.com), were produced for radio through Shoestring Radio Theatre, distributed nationally to NPR affiliates through Radio Works and Audio Services for the Blind. Prior to that production, "A Stitch in Time" and a musical, "The Porters", which she wrote with composer, Lewis MacAllister were produced by local amateur stage companies.
In 1995 Jones' novel In Line at the Lost and Found placed in the National Association of Writers novel awards. That same book was commented on by Push Cart Prize nominee Eva Shaderowfsky: "I love the way you keep this whole thing on the edge of madness. Well done! . .I smile as I read on breathlessly. . .It's black humor at its best!"
Georgia Jones is author of A Garden of Weedin', a collection of original poetry, art and essays, and is editor and contributor to Women on a Wire, vol.1 & 2. Her poetry has been compared to that of Alanis Morrisette. Jones latest poetry book, Memorable Seasons, has been well received by reviewers.
Jones' published work includes the novels In Line at the Lost and Found and Isabelle's Apetite . She has authored a book on writing, Write What You Know, based on writing workshops she has developed and led since 1995. Write What You Know was described by one reviewer as "a book that can be used and enjoyed by the new writer looking for guidance, or is a book for the seasoned pro in search of a fresh outlook." Her interview with Beat Poet and artist, Elizabeth Case, was a featured story for the Winter 1998-99 issue of Crone Chronicles magazine.
Her book Isabelle's Appetite was released in February of 2008 to good reviews, and can be purchased through the LadybugPress Bookstore or at other stores or online.
Each of Jones books has sold better than the last, though all have received excellent reviews.
Georgia Jones has led writing workshops in such diverse area and contexts as a peace conference in Israel and a retreat in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California.
Read Georgia Jones every month at LadybugFlights.
Write to Contact Georgia about reprints or assignments
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