Ralph S. (Stoney) Jacobs is a native of New Hampshire, and as the son of two portrait painters, it seemed he was destined to be an artist himself. Largely self-taught, he attended the Massachusetts College of Fine Art.
His portrait commissions include Jean Shaheen, the former governor of New Hampshire, the former Speaker of the House of the New Hampshire legislature, the principal of Phillips Exeter Academy, and the headmaster and his wife of St. Paul’s School, Concord, NH.
As many portrait artists, Stoney is also a very fine still life painter and is known for his miniatures. Working on a small scale, one must walk up to Ralph Stoney Jacob's artworks to appreciate their detail and form. These delicate paintings hold the attention of the viewer by forcing them to place the artwork within their personal space in order to take in all of the fine points.
His miniature still-lifes maintain the Boston School style with stunning accuracy to form and masterful depiction of light. By bringing attention to life’s small things, he elevates everyday items to pieces of art themselves, worthy of the artist’s canvas. His plein-air landscapes, while still adhering to the teachings of the Boston School, are slightly more impressionistic. Oprah Winfrey is included in his list of collectors, both private and corporate.
Education
1980 — Massachusetts College of Art, BFA
Solo Exhibition
2011 — McGowan Fine Art, Concord, NH
2004 — McGowan Fine Art, Concord, NH
2000 — McGowan Fine Art, Concord, NH
1998 — McGowan Fine Art, Concord, NH
1980 — John Pence Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Selected Group Exhibits
2002 — Copley Society, Boston, MA
Bibliography
Nov-Dec 2011 — "Reviews: New Hampshire" Art New England, Boston, MA
May 18, 2007 — "Shaheen, On Cavnas, Debuts" Concord Monitor, Concord, NH
November 4, 2004 — "Odyssey in the Exploration of Light" Bow Times, Bow, NH
December 7, 2000 — "Modern Master" Concord Monitor, Concord, NH September, 1998 — "Whitefield Artist in the News" Whitefield News, Whitefield, NH
May 11, 1997 — "Like Impressionists, He Works From Light" Boston Globe, Boston, MA
Collections
Lincoln Financial
Harvard Law Library
Massachusetts Federal Court of Appeals (portrait of Judge Stahl)
Oprah Winfrey
Martin Gross
Governor & Mrs. Lynch