Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine APRIL 2019 | Page 676

stuck my me. As a textile artist,she uses many
diverse techniques, but mainly Shibori and
itajime specifi cally ( folding and clamping
shapes and symbols) to creates colors and
fabric that possess magic-like qualities or in
my view “Textile elixir of Life.” On top all of that
she is a caring mother to our fi ve wonderful
daughters. Artistically, we have both taught art
St. Educational High School. She taught textile
art and design and I taught AP Studio Art.
Over the years we have also shown at various
galleries and festivals locally and nationally.
Advice to aspiring artists
First and foremost is to fi nd your passion.
Everyone is an artist or a creative to some
degree. The art business is multi-billion dollar
and an extremely competitive business. I would
tell them to master their craft, learn marketing,
and be mindful that personality and social skills
are important.
In St. Crox, John’s paintings can be found at:
1
2
Top Hat Gallery
Company Street
Christiansted
Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts
10 Strand Street
Frederiksted
Website
www.johnobafemijones.com
John’s work can be found on the major
social media platforms.
About
St. Croix
St. Croix is the largest of the
four inhabited US Virgins Islands
(St. Thomas, St. John and Water
Island are the other three) and it
is 84 square miles. The island is
lush, with emerald green hills,
a rainforest, and white sandy
beaches.
The island and its people possess
an unparalleled strength and a
spirit, as witnessed by the island’s
recovery from two category 5
hurricanes. I really feel that what
makes St. Croix special is the
people.
The islands have been governed
by seven colonial powers starting
with Spain, England, Holland,
France, the Knights of Malta,
Denmark, and fi nally, the United
States. The enslaved people of
the territory have endured some
of the harshest conditions and
treatment, yet they have endured,
all the while striving for self-
determination and the will to
make each day, each breath, better
than the last. That spirit is rooted
in the magnifi cent culture, a spirit
that is embedded in the music, art,
dance, and numerous other art
forms of the islands.
Interesting places to visit are
Fort Christiansvaern, one of
Christiansted’s National Historic
sites and gorgeous Danish colonial
building. In Frederiksted, there is
the St. George Village Botanical
Gardens situated on an old
sugar plantation. Point Udall’s
Millennium Monument marks the
easternmost point of U.S. territory,
and Salt River Bay National
Park has archaeological sites,
mangroves and coral reefs.