Deborah Jones Digital Archive

About Deborah Jones

Born in 1921 in Pontypridd, South Wales, Deborah Jones was a self-taught British artist whose career spanned over six decades. During World War II, she worked as a capstan lathe operator at Bristol Aeroplane Company. When her home was destroyed in the 1941 Blitz, her childhood teddy bear "Lexi" survived—sparking a lifelong passion for painting teddy bears and nostalgic subjects that would define her artistic legacy.

After the war, Jones moved to London where she immersed herself in the art and theatre world. She worked as a theatre designer and costume maker at the Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne, and collaborated with designer Oliver Messel. She served as dresser to ballerina Margot Fonteyn and contributed to productions at West End theatres. Her first solo exhibition was at Liberty's of London in 1957, launching a successful career as a painter.

Jones became renowned for her meticulously detailed oil paintings of teddy bears, dolls, Victorian shop windows, and domestic interiors. In 1975, Hollywood legend Cary Grant famously purchased her entire London exhibition. In 1987, she created the "Forever Friends" bear for Hallmark Cards, which became a globally recognized greeting card character. She continued painting until her death in Bristol on Christmas Eve 2012, at age 91, with her beloved Lexi beside her.