Leonard Jones leads a simple life in rural Lincoln County, Georgia, where he was born and raised. Living in a small plain farmhouse with no luxuries, Leonard has always been able to support himself doing farm work and odd jobs. Without a vehicle of any kind, he prefers to stay close to home where it is quiet, saying he lets his paintings “take me to places.” As his artwork has become better known and more popular, it is taking him to more and more places. His subjects are largely childhood memories, the paintings becoming snapshots of southern rural life. The figures very often face away from the viewer or have their faces obscured by the brims of hats, as if caught unaware of the painter. Leonard spreads big blocks of color on scrap wood or roofing tin with enamel housepaint and a large housepainting brush. He usually paints the subjects in with his fingers, leaving his fingerprints visible in many of his paintings. For smaller subjects or greater detail, he uses a stick from a nearby bush or sometimes the “other end” of a brush.