WOOFISM and beyond

Studio Diary: 31st July: Ray Howard Jones

Above: Ray Howard Jones at shed in Wales opposite Skomer Island and drawings by SDB

Been a busy time since came back from Amsterdam hardly had chance to sit down in studio.

I have been preparing for a charity music gig which now out of the way ( Black Star Horses at the Maze) for Nottingham Hospitals Charity Prostate Cancer Appeal.

Also been asked for material from 1991 related to a female artist known as Ray Howard Jones who is subject of a retrospective at Tenby Museum with a catalogue written by poet Tony Curtis. I have provided photographs and sketches from a visit I made to Skomer to visit Ray with the Rocket Boys ( David and Jonathan) in August 1991.

The sketchbook can be seen here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/157187608/Skomer-Sketchbook-1991

Here a sample and a couple of pictures Ray herself (aged 89!) outside her tin shed studio..a one off if ever there was one and one of the few accredited female War Artists with works in the Imperial War Museum. A deserved retrospective. Rumour is she changed her name from Rosemary to Ray to avoid sexism in art world. She also spent twenty years living with the wonderful British landscape photographer Ray Moore.

2 Comments

  1. Kevin McCauley

    Just a quick comment!
    Ray had an exhibition in Haverfordwest Library one evening. And Ray, even at her age then, had the figure of a much younger woman. But this evening, she looked quite stunning. I said to her “Ray, you look stunning”! – – – – and she replied “But my dear — – – paint is my trade!

    • shaun belcher

      Lovely comment 🙂

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