Amanda Barry Jones says, “The 2024 storms—the May derecho and Hurricane Beryl—left profound marks on our communities, especially hard-hit Garden Oaks where I live and the Greater Heights where I once lived. Uprooting ancient oaks and pines—which served as namesakes and guardians of our neighborhoods—the storms left landscapes littered with massive piles of wood and debris.” At first glance, “Nature Reclaims: Wood Pile” is reminiscent of these storms’ destructive aftermaths, however, a closer inspection reveals the magical transformation taking place within the unearthed root ball and nooks and crannies of the tree’s broken stump. Here, Barry Jones has crafted insects, reptiles, birds, and mammals, giving new life to the planet through the decaying wood; turning a symbol of destruction into a celebration of nature’s resilience and the beauty hidden within the chaos.

Barry Jones is a multidisciplinary artist with a foundation in ceramics and nearly 20 years’ experience working with clay. She received a BFA in Ceramics from Lamar University, Beaumont, where she was born, and a full scholarship to the graduate program at Houston Christian University earning an MFA in sculpture and ceramics. A co-founder of the Empty Bowls of Southeast Texas project, Barry Jones runs the Art Department and Art Gallery at Galveston College and lives and works as a professional artist in Houston. Her work has been widely exhibited, including shows at Site Gallery, The Silos at Sawyer Yards, for ClayHouston; Dishman Art Museum, Beaumont; Galveston College Fine Arts Gallery; Iron Gate Studios, Beaumont; Redbud Arts Center, Houston; Rockport Center for the Arts; The Art Studio, Inc., Beaumont; and Williams Tower Gallery, Houston.