Jonathan Bethel was born in Nassau, Bahamas in 1978. After graduating from St. Andrew’s School in 1996, he went on to Clemson University in South Carolina, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2001.
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 album covers to basketball cards. He also loved to invent his own cartoon characters, creating sketch after sketch of them.
In school also he stood out with his abilities in the 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. 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, colourful native plants, and of course the luminous waters of the Bahamas.
In November of 2001, Jonathan received first prize in the Eighteenth Annual Central Bank of the Bahamas Art Competition, the most prestigious local competition for young artists. He has also participated in a number of group shows in Nassau and in the Family Islands, as well as several successful one-man shows at the British Colonial Hilton in Nassau.
His artwork is in the private collections of many prominent Bahamians, including former Governor General Sir Orville and Lady Turnquest.