Leonard Jones (American, b. 1955), 1st Prize

House paint on tin, signed at lower left, unframed.

21 x 26 in.

From the Estate of the late Susan C. Frankenberg, Hillsborough, North Carolina

Leonard Jones is a self-taught folk and outsider artist who still lives in rural Georgia. The son of a sharecropper, he left school to work as a laborer but later discovered his passion for painting. Working on roofing tin spread on the ground, Jones uses vibrant oil-based house paint and unconventional tools like broken sticks and his fingers to create scenes inspired by his childhood and surroundings. His idealized yet authentic depictions offer a rare glimpse into African-American rural life and convey a sense of community and nostalgia. Jones’s works are included in notable collections such as the House of Blues.

Abrasions, denting, and rust oxidation to the panel.