Jon Minshull
Jon Minshull has a profound relationship with the town of Glastonbury. Already well-known for his stunning murals which adorn the Goddess Hall, the Glastonbury Experience and the Glastonbury Information Centre, Jon draws much inspiration from the energy of Glastonbury and the landscapes of the Levels. As one of the artists who works on-site at our gallery, he epitomises the communitarian and collective spirit of the Heart of the Tribe.
Born in Staffordshire, Jon lived on farms as a child, and became deeply inspired by rural Southern England. Professionally he has extensive experience in studying and teaching art, illustration, graphic design, interior design and mural work. He describes his style range as realist, impressionist and symbolist. His recent works incorporate sacred geometry, symbolism, animals and landscapes. He paints in a multi-dimensional, layered way, and works in wildlife illustration, tromp l’oeil and portraiture. Jon’s interest in art history was strong even during his childhood, when his mother taught him to paint in oils. Drawing inspiration from the the Renaissance, Baroque and Victorian periods, he cites Velázquez, Klimt, Anders Zorn, John Singer Sargent and the Symbolists of the Belle Époque as his influences.
After setting out for an adventure à la Gauguin in Tahiti, Jon traveled to Costa Rica and devoted himself fully to his art. He splits his time between the jungles of Costa Rica with their “awe inspiring beauty and adventure,” and the “bucolic idyll of Avalon” in Glastonbury, quite a contrast of landscapes. But rather than see disconnect, Jon sees unity. He transposes plants and animals across the varied landscapes to celebrate the fundamental universality of the growth and decay process, the wheel of the year. And this universality transcends landscapes and finds its manifestation in art. In Jon’s words, “I’ve got an overwhelming sense that everything does mean something, everything is a manifestation of divine consciousness. I believe that consciousness is the fundamental, everything in the universe is manifested from that. The complexity and beauty of physical evolution is an expression of that consciousness. Enlightenment is kind of when we get to the point of understanding that as a beautiful illusion.”
