Jon Minshull’s journey invites us to consider sanctuary not just as a place, but as a state of being, deeply connected to nature, community, and personal responsibility.
I met with Jon on a cold, grey February morning to discuss his contribution to the Heart of the Tribe Gallery’s upcoming Sanctuary Exhibition inspired by ‘the calming essence of nature and the personal sanctuaries we all cherish.’
It was his last day of live painting in the gallery before he headed off to his other home in the Costa Rican rainforest, where he spends three months of the year. While we chatted, Jon was painting a Beltane-themed piece for the gallery, describing it as “Two hares checking each other out in a Beltane kind of way.”
Jon is one of Glastonbury’s best-known artists. His art, much of which features the landscape and wildlife of the Somerset Levels, is on public display all over town. He is a major contributor to the Glastonbury Mural Trail and a prolific painter of private commissions. You may be familiar with his massive dahlia mural which appears on the side of the Heart of the Tribe Gallery his portrait of cows on the corner shop, or even the larger-than-life giraffe which recently appeared on a house in Meare.
Sanctuary in Nature and the Landscape
Jon has been visiting and living in Glastonbury, on and off, for the last 25 years. He tells me:
“What I love most about Glastonbury is the sense of freedom you get here. You can walk down the high street wearing whatever you want, including nothing, and that’s fine. And it’s just a very creative and cultural melting pot, so it’s very stimulating.” Of course I had to ask if he had ever walked down the high street wearing nothing? “I would never, but I’ve heard of many cases where it has happened!”
I ask Jon how his work connects with the sanctuary theme, he explains that the woodlands around the Tor are only a 10-minute walk from his home:
“The hills and the woods around the Tor, the nature in the landscape is the sanctuary, being in nature always feels like you are home, you are where you are supposed to be”.
“The motivation for my art and for my life is the idea that beauty is more than just a physical property. It’s something that is contained within the essence of something. For me, to be in a space that is beautiful on all levels, that’s really what Sanctuary means.”
Rainforest Sanctuary
I wondered if his rainforest home in Costa Rica feels like a sanctuary too.
“Yes, absolutely. The first time I went into a rainforest it changed my life, my perspective of everything. I realised the whole concept of land ownership is ludicrous, what really matters is the earth and land and nature”.
How does his sense of Sanctuary in the rainforest differ from his experience around Glastonbury Tor?
“It’s a very similar experience on one level, but the wildness and elements of danger out there are different, over there there are a lot of things that can kill you. There’s a heightened sense of respect and awe, that sense of focus really heightens your experience.”
“But, I’ve been going for 25 years and there hasn’t been an incident of anyone being killed by snakes or big cats out there in that time amongst all the communities I’m in contact with. Big cats are so good at camouflaging themselves, they might be watching you, you might see their footprints, but you can walk through the forest feeling quite comfortable and safe. When you are there you feel like you are part of nature, ao if you take a reasonable amount of care and you respect where you are walking you won’t have a problem.”
“My place has no electricity, but my caretaker has had electricity for the past 2 years, so we have the option of electricity. I can go to his and charge my phone and get ice for my ice chest, I never need a hot shower. I love having a home without any electrical interference, I have the pure experience of the plants and the forest around it.”
Is he a different Jon Minshull when he is in Costa Rica?
“It totally is a different Jon Minshul! I have a great sense of responsibility for the land out there. It’s such an amazing, natural environment. In this country I’m of service, but there the decisions I make have a great impact so I always have to be in my higher self in a way. The land I’m responsible for covers half a mountain going down to the river, it’s the source of water for a whole village, so I’m really aware of my stewardship of that.”
In Glastonbury, the turning of the seasons is hugely significant. Does his lifestyle disrupt that?
“I spent this winter here, normally I go to Costa Rica between December and March. In Costa Rica there’s very little seasonal change, just wet or dry, the temperature doesn’t change, the leaves are constantly falling off the trees. It’s going to be about 30 degrees when I get out there. I really miss that cyclical change, because I grew up here in England, that’s part of my psychic consciousness. I did two series of paintings of the crossquarters. It’s like playing a didgeridoo, breathing in and out at the same time. Birth and death is a daily thing out there, rather than a yearly thing.”
Hieros Gamos – Sacred marriage
Which of his pieces best represents sanctuary?
“I think possibly the double Hieros Gamos panel up on Chilkwell Street, the frames are in an arched window, which has a sort of an ecclesiastical connotation, so it kind of feels a little bit church-like. Not that that’s necessarily to do with sanctuary, but I think obviously sanctuaries, churches and spiritual buildings have been places of sanctuary traditionally, and I think that gives a little view into sort of a sacred landscape, a sacred space where the Hieros Gamos is taking place. And for me, I think that’s, it has that sense of intimacy because you’re looking through these windows at this couple.”
“Although it’s got a couple in it, The Hieros Gamos is not about romance, it’s about synthesising the opposite aspects of your own nature, that spiritual place, that movement towards the unification of everything, that understanding that we are all one thing, that is the ultimate sanctuary to me.”
“The people who commissioned the Hieros Gamos painting literally didn’t know what they’d get before it arrived, their only requisite was for it to have the Starship Enterprise in it, so if you look closely at the male side you’ll see a tiny spacecraft flying out of the fire like a little spark.”
“The Lady of the Lake painting is in the exhibition too, the lake has that sanctuary element, the sword was kept within it and guarded there in a way,”
I asked Jon to share a memorable moment when someone connected deeply with his art.
“There have been quite a few actually. And it’s really nice when people actually come to you afterwards and tell you about them. There was a couple of ladies that came into the gallery while I was painting at the window, a couple of months ago, and they’d been to the Mary Magdalene Chapel in the garden where I’ve got one of my paintings of pilgrimage in the bottom there, in a little sanctuary space. And she just wanted to tell me that she’d kind of been transported into another realm, into another dimension while she was looking at it. And it was very euphoric and she’d never kind of felt that before looking at anything. And that was, to me, that was amazing.”
Heart of the Tribe
How many pieces will he have in the Sanctuary exhibition?
“Over ten, They will be chosen by the gallery. I have such a collaboration with the gallery, they guide me on the theme so it’s quintessential to Glastonbury. I’m very happy to work with a tight brief and help people realise their vision. The Deer, Owl and Raven paintings will be in the exhibition and the Tor is in every single one.”
He clearly enjoys working closely with Heart of the Tribe. What does he love most about the gallery?
“What I love about it is that Julian (the founder) isn’t too focused on profit-making. He really wants to create a space for the community and he understands the value of art on all its levels, as well as healing, inspiration, everything else. So it’s a very positive take on art and it’s linked very closely to the community.”
With his buzz-cut hair and chiselled jaw Jon reminds me of Action Man. I ask him how he feels about his looks being an element of his popularity:
“I’d rather be known for my work than my looks! But it’s funny you should say that, I was one of only three guys who had nicknames when we were in college, there was Captain America, Captain Australia and I was Action Man!”
Refuge and Inspiration
Talking with Jon was a true privilege. His story isn’t just about art; it’s a testament to the profound connection between personal sanctuary and creative expression. From the gentle landscape of Glastonbury to the vibrant rainforests of Costa Rica, he’s found refuge and inspiration, translating his deep gratitude for these landscapes into breathtaking works of art. We’re fortunate indeed to have his vision gracing our community, reminding us of the beauty surrounding us. His experience in Costa Rica adds another layer, igniting a powerful sense of stewardship that resonates through his art. Jon’s pieces for the Sanctuary exhibition, born from a collaboration with the Heart of the Tribe Gallery, perfectly embody their shared belief in art’s power to heal, inspire, and connect us all.
After my interview with Jon, I spoke to Heart of the Tribe’s Gallery manager Kim VonCoels, who told me:
“Watching Jon paint at the gallery has been inspiring, seeing the artwork take shape so effortlessly is a sanctuary in itself. We’re really excited about the body of work he as created for this upcoming exhibition, the way he has manged to capture the magic of being in Avalon. As a local, I can honestly say his paintings feel like home.”
I originally interviewed Jon back in November 2019 for an article on the Heart of the Tribe website, the link is below, along with further details of the gallery’s Sanctuary exhibition which runs from March 6th to April 27th 2025.
Photos of Jon by Gregory Taylor, others by Vicki Steward and Heart of the Tribe Gallery. This post was very kindly sponsored by Heart of the Tribe gallery.
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Great.
Talk about “Leaving your mark” !
Brilliant Superb Murals !