Obituary of Nanette Barnes Jones

 Nanette Barnes Jones

 

Nanette Barnes Jones, 96, died October 31, 2023, in her daughter’s home in Castle Rock, Colorado. Born on May 31, 1927, in Jacksonville, Florida to Bennett Barnes and Nanette Calera Reynolds, she grew up in Jasper, Alabama and graduated from Walker County High School. Ms. Jones was an accomplished paralegal most of her life, painter and artist of watercolor mixed-media who enjoyed a late-career renaissance in her final five decades.  

 

She lived her life amidst art. Although Nanette considered herself to be primarily self-taught, she had taken workshops with nationally known artists. She studied extensively on her own and was inspired and motivated toward experimentation with various water media materials and techniques.

 

Ms. Jones was active with the Watercolor Society of Alabama for many years, serving as its President in 1996-1997. She juried into several National Exhibitions of the Watercolor Society of Alabama and was a Signature Member of the organization. She also served as Membership Chairman for both the Watercolor Society of Alabama and Southern Watercolor Society for several years. She juried in many exhibitions in several states winning awards and selling her paintings to collectors. She founded the Experimental Artists of Alabama and served as the Executive Director where some of the members have been juried into exhibitions sponsored by the International Society of Experimental Artists.

 

She lived in several states, such as Alabama, California, and Florida exploring their unique qualities and beauty that influenced her paintings. Nanette’s professional commitments were extensive, teaching classes in experimental art, conducting workshops in experimental painting and collage, and demonstrating various techniques for local art organizations.

 

Nanette is survived by her daughter, Barbara A. Lane and her husband, Gary Bruns, great grandsons, Christopher Kyle Crooks of Colorado, and Ashton Crooks of North Carolina. She was preceded in death by her parents, many loves in her life, her stepfather, Paul Gunter, half-brother, Paul Lacy Gunter, son, Olen Avery Lane, Jr. and grandson, Colby Russell Crooks.

 

Her family would like to express our deepest gratitude for the loyalty and devotion to Nanette’s creative talents, in all her artistic endeavors; for her art has adorned the homes of her collectors all around the United States for almost 50 years. Nanette’s legacy will live on, while she will be dearly missed. We also want to thank her Hospice families at Covenant Care in Florida, and Gentiva of Castle Rock, Colorado. Thanks as well to the kind-hearted nurses and doctors who treated her during her final year.

 

Metaphorically speaking, we will meet again, joyfully, on the other side. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to a charitable local art organization in Nanette’s memory.