Oil Paintings and Stained Glass By Jon Wos

Born in Lena, Wisconsin, in 1981, Jon Wos was diagnosed at birth with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a congenital condition that is manifested by weak bones that are highly susceptible to fractures. Though this condition limited his physical ability, it heightened his sensitivity to the world around him, and, out of his love of creation, Jon began drawing at a young age. As he grew older, his artistic expression blossomed and by the age of 11 he was painting with oils. At 16, he started creating with glass.

When Jon was a sophomore in college, he won a $10,000 grand prize in a national competition for disabled artists. In 2005, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in drawing, painting, and sculpture.

Jon has exhibited his various forms of artwork throughout North America, including the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., the Chicago Cultural Center, and the Joseph D. Carrier Gallery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In addition, his work is on display in such public collections as the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Ripon College, and in the private collection of the late U.S. Senator Herb Kohl of Wisconsin. 

"As a romantic realist I seek to make real the values that make life worth living,” Wos said. “Whether it is the value of the love of individuals or the value of the beauty of an object, I want to recreate these values through special, rare, or exciting visual experiences. I am a romantic because I seek a better version of life, to show how life should be. I am a realist because I want this better version to be real, to be a convincing metaphysical experience, as an end in itself.

"The purpose of my work is to create experiences of reverence for life. I design these reverent experiences to be ends in themselves; as moments of joy for life. Life can be hard no matter who you are. The struggles of hard times can wear away one's passion for living and the darkness of cynicism can begin to encroach. To combat this darkness, we need the knowledge that life can be wonderful, and that overcoming the struggle is possible and worth it. This knowledge comes from moments of joy, of experiencing one’s values here and now, in this life. 

“These reverent moments lead to a passion for that irreplaceable value which is your life. Passion for life is the source of success and the best defense against cynicism. This passion is like a fire, a fire that must be maintained by you, and only you. It is up to you to discover what fuels your fire. Just as you protect the physically essential aspects of life, like your heart, your eyes, or the food on the table; your passion for life, your inner fire, must be looked after just as carefully. Some may be able to survive without that burning passion, but they certainly cannot live without it.