Born in the Eastern Washington river city of Spokane, Phil Jones discovered the joy of boating during family outings on Puget Sound and the lakes of Washington and Idaho. At age 6, when his family moved to Boston, he became fascinated with mariner lifestyles and New England-coast folklore. By now captivated, he studied art and took field trips to Salem's Maritime Museum and Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. There he learned to appreciate the work of the New England masters including Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, and the Wyeths.

As a teen, Jones moved with his family to the San Francisco-Bay area. There he learned to sail and improve his artwork. At 19, he returned to the Pacific Northwest, and, in 1981, earned a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from Central Washington University. Today, Jones paints in his studio across a street from the sand, rocks, and driftwood of Seattle's historic Alki Beach. He tries to reflect, in paint, the splendor of the Northwest he sees from his studio window.

As a fine artist his whole life, and as a commercial artist in graphic art and retail-store design for more than 20 years, Jones has mastered many avenues of expression. Although 'Jones works in both 2- and 3-dimensional media, he finds that watercolors best suit his taste and the maritime genre.

Jones’ works are displayed regularly in galleries throughout the Seattle area. They are also found in private collections. Jones welcomes private showings and as well as commission work.