In the summer of 2001, Jeff Schaub, Owner of Annapolis Marine Art and John Barber Editions, was vacationing in Cornwall, England with his wife, Sue. In a corner stationery shop in the seafront town of Newquay, they found greeting cards depicting children on the beach. The artist's name was Steven Jones from the Isle of Anglesey in Wales.

   Jeff had always been on the lookout for an artist whose depictions capture the innocence, intense activity, beauty and fun of children at the seaside without the sentimentality that often accompanies such a theme.

   Steven Jones' work was "spot-on," as they say in those parts.

   Steven's paintings, mostly of his own children, are executed in a matter-of-fact style which invites the viewer to say, "That's my child!" and "That's exactly what I saw my daughter doing at the beach last summer..."Customers will come into our gallery after seeing the Jones paintings in the window and say they just have to have one or two, because the scenes catch that certain something about the way children stand, move and observe.

   We obviously love Steven's work, and we hope all who love children will enjoy his images.

   Born in 1959, Steven Jones spent most of his early childhood in Llysfaen, a small, idyllic village in the hills of North Wales. The panoramic views of the surounding landscape inspired him to sketch and paint. By the age of 10 he had won his first national painting competition.

   Steven spent four years in London working as a freelance illustrator for various clients including BBC Publications, Readers Digest, The Daily Mail, The Sunday Telegraph, Golf Monthly, TV Times, Barclays Bank, Lloyds Bank, Lancia Cars, Jaguar Cars, Wall's Ice Cream and Securicor. He also completed twelve paintings for a British Petroleum calendar and a film poster for " A ChristmasCarol."

   Disillusioned with the illustration business, Steven moved back to North Wales in 1985 to concentrate on paintings for galleries. The paintings proved very popular and sold in local galleries and in fine art auctions such as Bonhams, Sothebys and Christies. Steven's paintings have been exhibited at Harrods of Knightsbridge, and in have been chosen to decorate Prime Minister Tony Blair's office.

   Steven Jones' work now sells throughout Britain, on the coastlines of Florida and California, and in our own Annapolis. We are very proud to represent Steven Jones, and we know his paintings will be a source of joy to all.