May 5, 2024

A Meeker native,

Lori Jones grew up locally on the Keystone Ranch between Meeker and Maybell, and in September of 2023 she returned to her childhood stopping ground as the winner of the 2023 Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship Trials Art & Photography Contest. She and her family currently live in Lake City, Kansas.

 

Not only inspired by the annual trials Meeker hosts year after year, Jones was influenced by her (and mine, and many others) amazing High School art teacher, Andy Goettel, who continues to be a great patron of the trials.

 

 

 

Rejection is really tough

“I’ve applied to many shows. Rejection is really tough as an artist and I worked hard every year to have a piece or two to enter and remember always being so disappointed to never win. Looking back, my artwork just wasn’t at the appropriate level yet. I’m constantly amazed at how far I’ve come, and reminded of how far I have yet to go.” -Lori Jones

If you visit Jones’s website

at lorijonesart.com you will get acquainted with more of her western lifestyle inspired work, you will also notice that she is a black and white artist. The dramatic contrast of this style also comes with the possibility of rejection simply based on the idea that the absence of color will decrease the image’s ability to make, in this case, a flashy poster. That is why, when asked, Jones came back with a response full of vigor, “I am SO excited to see my drawing on the 2024 Meeker Classic poster! As a black and white artist, it sometimes feels like the door is closed on my art work simply because of the lack of color, especially in a poster scenario, where the image needs to be really eye-catching. For my charcoal and graphite drawing to be the featured artwork is so exciting and I can’t wait to see it used in all of the 2024 marketing.”

But looking at the dog

I don’t think many people would not be giving our 2024 Meeker Classic poster a second look. The dog in Jones’s winning charcoal and graphite drawing is derived from a mash-up of a good boy named Moss, owned and photographed by a good friend of Jones’s, Patricia MaCrae. MaCrae shared a photo of Moss with Jones and it was this photo that became the model of the winning art “Focus.” But another dog, and their spirit was also involved in the creation of Focus, Jones’s dad’s border collie, Jake, a well loved good boy.

Today Jones

continues to evolve as an artist and is honored to be one of twelve finalists for the Pendleton Roundup (held in Pendleton, Oregon) poster competition this year. Staying busy she is also traveling to Fort Worth, Texas in May for the Cowgirl Gathering where she has been accepted as an exhibiting artist. and will be competing in their Quick Draw event. But that is not all, Jones is a featured artist for the Dodge City Days in Dodge City, Kansas this July and August.  You can learn more about Lori Jones by visiting her website at lorijonesart.com