Jonathan Shaw

Jonathan was born in Leeds in 1959 and settled with his parents in the beautiful spa town of Ilkley. His parents were both very creative; his father being a keen artist and his mother a clothing designer and it was evident that from an early age Jonathan was going to be blessed with this gift. Having left school at 16, he went into a series of unrewarding jobs before settling on interior design. In 1988, Jonathan decided to become a professional artist and devote all his time to his art and began working freelance for small publishing companies. It was around this time that he produced a stunning series of wildlife pictures in the unusual medium of oil pastel on cotton velvet, which became collectable worldwide. In 1994 Jonathan opened his own gallery in Ilkley, which he ran for 6 years before passing it on to new owners. He is inspired by modern day living artists but does have an admiration for the French artist Edgar Degas and in particular his ballet paintings. Jonathan is skilled in all mediums though he does have a passion for pastels, which is evident in his figurative work. Being a perfectionist Jonathan pays much attention to detail and once he begins a piece of work becomes totally committed to finishing it. His love of the tropical blue seas have inspired him to paint a series of ‘contemporary blues’ which he describes as ‘’calming paintings in a world full of drama’’. In 1999 Jonathan was elected a fellow of the British Society of Painters and International Guild of Artists. His work is now in print and his originals are now collected throughout the UK, Europe and the USA.