Tony Jones
Tony Jones OAM, WA Living Treasure, Sculptor
Tony Jones is Western Australia's most well-known Sculptor and his distinctive works can be seen throughout the city and surrounds. One of his best known works, a statue of CY O'Connor, poignantly sits out in the ocean from CY O'Connor Beach. Another, Eliza, sits in the Swan river facing Mount Eliza where it is enthusiastically dressed according to season by the nearby university students who adore her. Tony's work is instantly recognisable and often has some kind of nautical link.
I first met Tony many years ago at a Sculpture workshop he was running at his Studio. He was an excellent teacher and many of my favourite sculptures around Perth are Tony’s. Last year I asked him to sit for a portrait because I remembered clearly that wonderful face (excellent eyebrows). Luckily, he agreed to sit - I did bribe him with biscuits which might have helped.
We met up at his studio/shed in O’Connor for a sitting and some sketches. Tony’s shed is multitasking as a sculpture studio, ironmongers and a Museum of Swan River boating. Since I first met him at the workshop and then met him again to sketch him for his portrait, his studio had become even more crowded with boats, sculptures, potentially useful pieces of metal, scrounged maritime signage and other flotsam. As I sketched, we chatted about his sculpture and his childhood which was spent on the Swan River. His attachment to the history of the river explained his passion for rescuing old dinghies and boats that used to be plentiful up and down the Swan.
It seemed appropriate to include his studio and the river in a portrait of Tony as the sculptures and boats that surrounded him seemed integral to understanding him and his work. I painted two portraits of Tony. The first portrait Tony: On the Lookout is created in a section of an old printer’s drawer and I tried my best to recreate tiny references to his sculptures through the different sections. This was much easier when I sketched it in my sketchbook than when I tried to do it. I have a renewed respect for sculptors - it's very tricky. This portrait was purchased by Janet Holmes à Court and is now in the Holmes à Court collection. This is a perfect place for Tony’s portrait.
The second portrait I did was smaller and created in an old tin with Tony on the left-hand side looking out from his studio down the river. See image at top of this blog. There was much less room to be sculptural, but I did find pieces the echoed his sculptures and was able to include an orange flag that he had made and given to me. I included a section of an old road map which included Chidley Point - an important part of the Swan River where Tony grew up and spent his childhood ‘mucking about on boats’.
The scale of this portrait was challenging particularly with the assemblage, but a delight to do at the same time. I found an old cigarette card of depicting a girl from the 1920’s in a diving position. She perfectly emulates Tony's sculpture, Eliza, who sits out on the water of Matilda Bay. Eliza is one of Perth’s most beloved sculptures. This portrait is on display at Stafford Gallery in North Fremantle until 20th of September. It has been purchased by a collector.
Tony has is a wonderful character and artist. It was my pleasure to create these portraits. And I’m very clear now that painting is easier than sculpture.
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