Legendary Fantasy Artist
Yesterday we learned that fantasy artist Jeffrey Catherine Jones had passed away. Hailed as “the greatest living painter” by Frank Frazetta, she was able to not only capture shadow and light in her work, but the eerie, dusk-like quality that lies between.
Her work is as nuanced and impressive as the greats in the museums (off topic: wouldn’t it be awesome – though highly unlikely – if the Met recognized fantasy illustrators and curated a retrospective?)
Part of the collection of artists including Bernie Wrightson, Barry Windsor-Smith, and Michael William Kaluta known as “The Studio”, Jones lent her imagination and enormous talent to books and comics. A regular segment in Heavy Metal magazine brought her work to the masses, or at least the nerdy masses.
Jones faced considerable turmoil in her personal life after having sex reassignment surgery and dealing with a nervous breakdown. In the past decade though, she had begun painting again and her unique voice and spirit are preserved in her personal website. She was 67.
But what do you think?