Jon Forest Lightfoot’s work has been shown widely across the American West, in colonial cities of Mexico, and in Florida. No matter the language or the traditions of the reviewer, Jon’s beautifully depicted subjects speak to a universal audience, engaging the viewer in an active dialogue.

Collectors admire the composition and design elements of his paintings, including the Native American subjects for which he has long been celebrated, or the more recent “liquid sensuality” of brilliant Michoacan fruit, which has prompted comparisons with the work of Frida Kahlo. One writer states that Lightfoot imbues even a still life with such emotion and passion, each fruit is like a landscape. His newest works are a dance of colors and vibrantly applied paint; the compositions blend his classicized motifs with freshly articulated subjects. Whether of proud roosters, tribal elders, or market women, his work is a testament to a life of artistic clarity.

Lightfoot, whose heritage is Cherokee and Swedish, moved to Tucson from the Midwest when he was 8 years old. He is especially pleased to show his work in the Fort Lowell neighborhood, where he lived as a boy.
He studied art at Bennington College, the School of Visual Arts, the Art Students League, and Milan School of Fine and Applied Arts. After his early studies, Mr. Lightfoot lived for twelve years in New York and London, where he worked in theater, dance, and modeling. With classical training in drawing, Lightfoot continued to draw even while acting and dancing in stage productions, often sketching actors and stage tableux while waiting in the wings.

In 1972, the artist returned home to Tucson, where he began to paint in earnest. His interest in Native American themes also led him to Santa Fe, where his work was encouraged and widely collected. He continued to explore his interests in Mexico, living in San Miguel de Allende.

Among many venues, his paintings have been shown at Presidio Gallery, Tucson; Wally Findlay Galleries, Palm Beach; Suzanne Brown Gallery, Scottsdale; Fenn Galleries, Santa Fe; Bellas Artes, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; and Galeria Uno and Holler and Saunders, of Morelia, Mexico.