July 13, 2004 – Friday's exhibition opening at Alexander's Bella Blu will offer art appreciators the opportunity to see something they've not seen in the Virgin Islands before — a solo show of watercolors by Teri Jones.
Jones will be displaying more than 30 original paintings and selected reproductions in her first Virgin Islands exhibition, which she has titled "Perfectly Caribbean." She'll be at the reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Frenchtown restaurant to talk about her work, and the public is invited to come by.
Jones is introducing the community to her technique of applying watercolor to clayboard, an approach which achieves brilliant coloration, according to Claire Ochoa, owner of Gallery St. Thomas and coordinator of the monthly art shows at Bella Blu.
While the artist's subject matter is often a serene landscape or an idyllic island scene, the paintings "come alive with Jones's use of vibrant colors," Ochoa says. "Viewing her artwork is like recapturing the memory of a beautiful scene — the best of the experience is brought to life where skies are brilliant blue, bougainvilleas burst with color and sunsets are dramatic."
A St. Thomas resident since April 2003, Jones moved to the islands in search of "warm water and sailing" after having lived in Hawaii and the San Juan Islands of Washington state. In those venues, she noted, "I had warm water or sailing, but not both!" She was familiar with the Virgin Islands through family members who settled in the territory more than 30 years ago.
Jones's successful 10-year career as a watercolorist includes having been an artist-in-residence at Roche Harbor Resort on San Juan Island, assisting in watercolor workshops and owning her own gallery. But that's all part of her second career.
Earlier, she was the director of a drug and alcohol treatment center, a position that pushed her to look for ways to reduce the stress in her life. A friend had suggested she take up painting for relaxation, but connecting with her creative muse did not come easily. "I took a beginning watercolor class three times!" she admits unabashedly.
Finally, things began to click. "Now, I truly do not believe there is a limit to the creativity that flows out of me," she says. "So the more images I create, the more images come to mind. This enables me to create a body of work that is reasonably priced to encourage the collection of my work, share my talents and make room for more ideas."
The show will hang through Aug. 12. All of the works are available for purchase, and most are priced from $20 to $200.
For more information about the Bella Blu exhibition, visit the Gallery St. Thomas Web site.

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