POWERGRAMS

40 I can visualize scenes in my mind," she said. "When I read a book, I hear a song or someone's story, I see it in my mind as though I am there. Painting is a pleasurable thing for me." A VERSATILE ARTIST While Jones showed early creativity, she didn't begin painting until she was in her 30s. Her grandmother allowed Jones to sew, an expression of the creative abilities inherited from her parents and grandmother. For years, Jones did tole painting and needlework, but found those mediums too confining. In the 1980s, Jones pressed flowers and mounted them onto velvet, earning awards at art shows. Around 1979, Jones began taking painting classes at Gadsden State Community College and Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Her first painting was of a turkey, her expression of her husband Billy's love of hunting. Later, she exhibited a sculpture and 12 other artworks at the Cultural Arts Center in Gadsden. "I just started painting, taking classes and kept progressing," Jones said. Though oil is her favorite medium, she has won awards for watercolors. She also works in acrylic and pencil. "I love the style of the old masters," Jones said. "Oil is my favorite because it's so forgiving. You can wipe off your mistakes. I like to say my talent is somewhere between my head and my hands." Jones took part in a statewide Senior Talent Art Competition in March 2015, winning three first-place trophies for her pencil drawing and watercolor, in addition to her Swedish weaving on hand towels. She took second place for Short Story and Poetry. In April 2015, Jones continued to the international competition at the Smoky Mountain Jubilee in Gatlinburg, Tenn. She won first place for "Shirts and Shells," a detailed pencil sketch of a striped shirt and large conch shells. She took second place for her watercolor, "Jonquils in a Vase." The trophies and medallions were unexpected windfalls. Jones' living room and den are showplaces for her art, trophies and medallions. She shows her work at the Comer Museum in Sylacauga each year, showing two pieces in 2016. Her art has appeared at Heritage Hall Museum in Talladega and the Cultural Arts Center in Gadsden. Jones admits she is driven. She has painted from 9:30 a.m. one day until 2 a.m. the next, working at her kitchen table. She paints in her family room to get the northern light. EXPRESSING HER LIFE THROUGH WRITING Jones is a member of the Central Alabama Writers Guild Alliance. She writes short stories and poetry, and is working on her memoir. She plans to publish a compilation of short stories in early 2017. She is also a Christian motivational speaker, and has wrien for The St. Clair Times and Senior Living in Birmingham. It's a busy life for Jones, who has enjoyed serving four years on the board of the Eastern Energizers, one of 10 chapters of Alabama Power's charitable organization for retirees. Jones got her start in Energizers with husband, Billy, a Southern Company Services retiree, who was an engineer at the Inverness Complex. The couple enjoyed 45 years together before Billy died nine years ago. "When I lost my husband, a lot of responsibilities fell on my shoulders," Jones said. "Billy was always my best supporter in my artistic endeavors." Now, her son, Jason, is one of her biggest supporters. She has a daughter, Sonya Yates, and a son-in-law, Alan. Jones' pencil sketches captured her granddaughters, Maggie and Mary Grace. Jones plans to continue staying busy with her artistry. "I like my art," Jones said. "I have to be doing something with my hands. There are so many things that need to be captured on paper. God is the master artist. I don't see anything that I couldn't make something of it. "All of my glories and honor go to God," she said. "As the creator, he puts creativity in every single person." The artist's awards. Jones and her son with photo of Billy Jones.

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