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Sky Jones Biography
On October 3, 2003, a few blocks from the Oklahoma City
National Memorial, Sky Jones, (A.K.A. Siren Bliss) established the Banker
Art Museum (BAM) Memorial. The dedication inscription reads: “This Fine Art
Memorial is dedicated to our loved ones who have passed over yet watch over
and whisper to us. Forget what you have been told and believe what you see.”
Sky Jones 2003.
This beautiful 9,000 square foot structure is located in The
Historic Automobile Alley art district of Oklahoma City. BAM is the growing
home for an impressive collection of sculpted and painted tributes created
by Jones.
On September 4, 1997, in Fort Worth, Texas, art history was
made. Sky Jones was
called as a star witness
in SEC V. ITEX Corp.: CV99-1361BR(D.Ore.). In this document,
Walton S. Kinsey, SEC attorney,
announced that in
one-of-a-kind original paintings Sky Jones was the most collected artist of
all time by U.S. corporations.
Sky unquestionably holds the record in American corporate
collections. One hundred and
twenty seven public corporations were listed booking $275,000,000.00 worth
of art. This document is available to the public. On March 3, 1995, Fort
Worth’s Milan Gallery hosted a nationally promoted
$10,000,000.00 art exhibition of
Sky Jones’ paintings offered by a local collector.
In the September 1995
issue of Decor Magazine in an interview with
Tal Milan, it was announced
that $9,000,000.00 worth of
art was sold in that show.
E.T. Albaugh,
President of The National Institute of Appraisers 1995 states,
“We are very familiar with the art
of Sky Jones. Over the years we have appraised thousands of his works for
insurance, exchange and donation purposes. No NIA-certified appraisal has
ever been overturned or rejected by an insurance carrier or the IRS.” It
was estimated that by 1999
over a half of a billion dollars worth of Sky Jones art had entered 200+
corporate collections.
In the year 2000 Sky Jones was interviewed twice by John
Emshwiller, senior front page reporter of the
Wall Street Journal.
At age 57, he has produced more than 18,000 drawings,
paintings, etchings, original jewelry, ceramic and sculpted pieces.
In 1971 he received an art degree from the University of
Utah where in all he attended twenty-two quarters In 1974-75, in Boston, he
painted Governor Michael
Dukakis and portraits of several of Boston’s dignitaries including
Boston Bruins hockey star
Bobby Orr and The New England Patriots. He painted members of the New
York Jets and San Francisco 49er’s
John Brody.
One work from 1975 is a painting of
O.J. Simpson. It was called “O.J.
and the Bolt.” It was distributed as a limited edition print. It shows
O.J. getting hit by a
bolt of lightning from Ron
(the Bolt) Bolton. It can be viewed on the www at daliland.com.
From 1976 to 1983 Sky worked on illustrations for magazine
covers and T.V. Guide and about a dozen Hollywood movie posters including
“Star Trek I,” “Meteor,” “The Never-Ending Story,” “Dressed to Kill,”
“Walking the Line,” “The Joint,” “Octagon,” “Heart Breaker” and “Final
Countdown.” During this time
many of his paintings sold for over $100,000.00. It has been estimated
that his illustrations have appeared in as many as seventy percent of the
magazines in the world.
In 1981 Sky
Jones published “Images of Paradise” a packaged collection of fifty signed
prints, including the “Star Trek” work, with two full color books. This was
a limited edition portfolio with a suggested retail of $100,000.00. Images
are on www. The portfolios were marketed through the Beverly Hills Gallery
on Rodeo Drive and sold out. See at daliland.com |
Making a
financial art statement, in 1984, he founded the Banker ArtMuseum, BAM,
as his studio, to publish, certify and house his output. BAM educates, and
motivates artists and the disadvantaged in productivity programs. It
purchases, certifies and resells this art. BAM is a service that educates
and employs.
That same year,
Mohammed Ali asked Sky to paint
a painting of children from four races on the back of Sky’s beautiful white
Arabian mare. It was for his “Children’s Peace Journey” benefit. The
resulting 9' x 5' painting was his backdrop for the national television
coverage.
Mohammed Ali never left his
power position directly in front of it.
Sky Jones is in the
collections of: Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth, The late great
Lucille Ball,
Tov and
Ernest Bourgnine and many other
Hollywood celebrities. In 1984, a Valentine’s Day showing of his art at the
Arco Plaza in downtown Los Angeles drew record crowds. Arco management
reported that the audience was “largest
ever” for the plaza. Sky signed autographs for six straight hours.
Eighteen thousand people
saw the show of 12 - 5' x 9' and 4 - 9' x 13' paintings. Some waited in line
for as long as two and one half hours to get his signature. His original
works and prints have been displayed and distributed from coast to coast and
in many countries including London, England, with two shows inMexico city
1976-1977.
He has written nine books including: “
The Universal Language of Beauty”
1975, 20K, “Signatures”
1980, 2K, “Images of Paradise” 1981, 3K, “The
Artist’s Bible” 1984, 50, “Spirits”1986,
50, “The Treasure” 1994
(four editions), 50, 1K, 2K, 10K, “Trance”
an Autobiography 1996-97, 5, “Fifty
Year Retrospective” 1997, 100. None are currently in print.
Sky Jones writes and
sings his own songs. Listen to his C.D., “Starwalker”
1997. The dozens of awards and commendations To Sky Jones from Mayors,
Senators and Governors detail a life dedicated to art and service to
humanity.
On two separate occasions the late Mayor Tom Bradley of
Los Angeles presented commendations to Sky Jones for his civic
contributions. 1984, 1989. Governor
Edward D. DiPrete of Rhode
Island honored the artist with Sky Jones RecognitionMonth in August, 1989.
Governors Wallace G.
Wilkinson, 1989, and Governor Brereton Jones, 1992, of Kentucky both
issued Letters of Recognition acknowledging Sky. Mayor Jerry E Abramson,
1986-98, of Louisville, Kentucky commended Sky with Sky Jones Month,
August, 1989. Governor Kay
A. Orr appointed Sky as Honorary Citizen of the Great State of Nebraska,
1989. Governor Walter J.
Hickle, 1989, appointed Sky as “Alaska’s Ambassador of Good
Will.” The Governor of Louisiana, appointed Sky as Honorary Citizen of the
State of Louisiana, 1992.
Utah Governor, Norman H.
Bangerter, in a Letter of Recognition, commended Sky for his art
statement using creative
recycling to work with the homeless in Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah in
1992. Utah Senator Orrin
Hatch, “stood and applauded.”
Governor
George S. Mickelson, from the state of South Dakota, stated to Sky: “It
is individuals such as you who see to it that our world remains
environmentally and spiritually sound for future generations.”
Kentucky Governor
Brereton Jones stated:
“Art has a tradition of fostering
humanitarianism, but few artists have been so active in the practice of
helping others than Sky Jones. |
