Monika Jones spent her childhood drawing, painting, and doing arts and crafts projects to avoid feeling bored. Engrossing hours became years of nearly uninterrupted practice. In school she excelled at art which was nice, but not looked upon as a promising path for a young person to take. She took as many art and industrial art classes as were offered in junior high and high school, creating plastic salt and pepper shakers, forged and riveted metal pooper-scoopers, and wooden cutting boards, clocks, and an art briefcase. Yearly she and her friends executed exquisite chalk paintings in the "I Madonari" sidewalk art festival both on campus and in downtown San Luis Obispo.

Upon reaching college, at UC Santa Cruz, she dabbled in environmental science and earth history, but considered designing an independant major. Though she took introduction art classes, she had a aversion to the program being offered. In the meantime, she spent time independantly throwing ceramics nightly on the wheel in the pottery co-operative beneath her dormitory. She felt conflicted, and knowing that she could not sway her focus too far away from art, for the love of science and vis-versa, she found some solace in the Science Illustration certificate classes. (science) She also took on several computer design jobs for the campus art gallery and various social justice courses. (courses)

Successfully applying (application) to the difficult-to-be-accepted-to Art Major, she subsequently dropped it feeling that it was not hands-on enough. Her switch to the Art History major, though even more theoretical, was done to qualify herself for the education abroad program in India.

She landed in (New) Delhi and spent one month north, in the hill station of Mussoorie, studying Hindi/Urdu language and trekking in the Himalayas. After that she settled down with four other University of California students for a semester at the Central University in Hyderabad, south central India. Here she studied Hindi/Urdu, Communications, Art History, Painting and Printmaking alongside Indian students. With her art friends she travelled back and forth daily, to the urban campus of "Golden Threshold" in the city, from the rural village lifestyle of the main campus. Giving her the chance to explore both the city of 6 million and the mysterious peacock lake and the various rock formations of the Deccan Plateau. Towards the end of her six-month stay in India she traveled to several famous art sites and cave temples, all across south, east and west India, to view the architecture, paintings and sculpture she had studied in class. (india)

In 2002 Monika graduated with a BA in Art History and a minor in Earth Sciences. With that winning combination major she found no work, and took to serving coffee and tea at various cafes until she found a satisfying job in the picture framing industry. Now with that job no longer available she struggles by in Oakland as a shopgirl in a custom jewelery shop almost full-time. With rest of her hours she ferociously attacks her art in all ways possible. The ablity to utilize many mediums allows her to stay free flowing and adaptable to the subject and situation. Inspired by nature and her life experiences she selects the best suited techniques learned in drawing, watercolor, collage, sewing, murals, floral arrangement, painting, photography and computer design and she is always looking for inspiration and instruction where she finds it.

In the past nine months she has completed 3 murals, several paintings, and initiated 2 major photography projects in her time away from rent paying labor for others. Monika plans to complete 3 more murals before the year 2005 is over, and dreams of a time where her financial situation won't drastically limit the time she can devote to art making.