An inherited talent for drawing and painting and a close relationship with his father has sustained Peter Jones’ lifelong affinity for creating art.
When Jones was two and his dad went off to fight in World War II, the pair would correspond with each other through drawings.
“Every fortnight he would send from the Pacific a letter with lots of sketches in it,” Jones said.
“‘This is the monkey that climbed up the tree’, ‘Henrietta the hen that lays me an egg every morning by my tent’ and ‘This is a portrait I did of my Captain Smith yesterday’.
“I was encouraged to send back a letter with my pictures, so I did.
“We shared the equivalent of probably 300 pictures, and I only have one letter left.”
Jones sold his first painting when he was 12 – parting with one of his pieces for a box of chocolates – and exhibited landscapes and portraits in a number of exhibitions and galleries. He moved from Williamstown to Little River a decade ago to be closer to the You Yangs, which inspires much of his work.
This weekend, Jones is one of a number of artists who will exhibit work in the annual Little River Art Show.
The show will run on October 27 and 28 at the Little River Mechanics Institute Hall, 8 Rothwell Road, Little River, from 10am-4pm on Saturday and 10am-2pm on Sunday. Entry is by gold coin donation.
