Bahamian Artist Bio

JONATHAN BETHEL

Jonathan Bethel was born in Nassau on November 1st, 1978. He attended St. Andrew's School for 13 years, graduating in 1996. He then went on to Clemson University in South Carolina. There he studied art and graduated in May, 2001 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

Even at an early age, Jonathan displayed a strong interest and aptitude for art, particularly drawing. He would recreate anything he could get his hands on, from albumn covers to basketball cards. He also loved to invent his own cartoon characters, creating sketch after sketch of them. In school he also stood out with abilities in the fine art field. He always took the art pieces he was doing very seriously, and spent great time on them, sometimes even to his teacher's disdain. It was probably always evident that his future would involve art in some form.

But it was while at college in South Carolina, away from home for the first time, that Jonathan really developed his appreciation and love for the beauty of The Bahamas. As the cliched quote goes "Absence makes the heart grow fonder". He devoted much of his painting studies there to capturing Bahamian scenery on the canvas. Most of his work at that time was done completely from his head, and was in part an attempt to feel closer to home.

To this day, Jonathan's interest and need to recreate The Bahamas on canvas remains, and he has learned that it takes many years to perfect. Today, his paintings capture the majesty and character of Bahamian life and scenery. Using acrylic paint as his medium, he explores a wide array of subjects, such as historic Bahamian homes and landmarks, colorful native plants, and of course the luminous waters of The Bahamas.

While I mentioned that Jonathan is a relatively new Artist, he does already have his share of accomplishments, and he has developed a significant following for his work. In November 2001, he received first prize in the Eighteenth Annual Central Bank of The Bahamas Art Competition, his most proud achievement. He has also participated in several group shows in Nassau and in the Family Islands, as well as a successful one-man show at the British Colonial Hilton. His artwork is the private collections of many prominent Bahamians, including former Governor General Sir Orville and Lady Turnquest.