Every day, local artist Raven Jones, also known by her Instagram name @bird_burger, eagerly awaits for 5 p.m. to arrive so she can start her second job: making her color-saturated, naturally-inspired work come to life.
“There’s not one time I don’t remember not making a mark on something,” the 27-year-old said. “As long as I had a pencil in my hand or some colors, I was good.”
Originally from Shreveport, Jones was drawn to artistic expression from an early age — while she tried other performance arts, like ballet and playing instruments, art was what captivated her, she said.
Throughout her time at Caddo Parish Magnet High School, Jones participated in traditional studio art classes, but was offered the opportunity to enroll in commercial art courses her junior year, allowing her to develop her skills in graphic design.
Jones’ commercial arts instructor, the late Annette Tolbert, eventually became her mentor and helped Jones hone her craft and thrive in the field.
“She saw my potential through and through. Even at times when I did not have confidence in myself, her earnest approach to instruction, resolve and unrelenting love never ceased,” Jones said.
Under Tolbert’s guidance, Jones enjoyed and excelled in graphic design, even going so far as to win awards in design competitions throughout the Shreveport area.
In 2010, Jones enrolled in LSU Shreveport to pursue a graphic design degree, but eventually left to further her passion in traditional art. After waitressing for about a year, Jones applied and obtained a job in graphic design for Lamar Advertising in Baton Rouge in order to pay the bills, continuing to produce art in her free time, she said.
It took her a year to break into the Baton Rouge art scene, Jones said. It began with a simple search for live model art classes around the city, until she found Chez Fab Arts and Community Project — a gallery hosted in a residence on Iroquois Street. Chez Fab is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “foster pride, growth, and revitalization within the impoverished neighborhoods and communities of Baton Rouge,” according to its website.
From Chez Fab, Jones would acquire the connections needed to go on to work with The Bando, a monthly live art and gallery show at The Spanish Moon, and make friends within the local art community.
In high school, Jones’ works were often gory, dark and macabre, done with graphite and pencil, she said.
Now, her art is a colorful and animated array of animal and human portraits that emanate a whimsical, airy aesthetic, she said. She primarily works with gouache — a technique that uses opaque water-coloring for a deeper, more vibrant look.
This drastic change in style stems from an evolution in her inspiration and a deep enjoyment of life, she said. Jones was first introduced to the brighter colors by Tolbert, and from there, mixed colors less and less. Since she was no longer blending her colors for a more natural look, she began creating the color-saturated, vibrant work we see today.
To her, art is a medium for communication to express her voice, Jones said. Jones hopes to progress to a more mature expression — nude art.
“I’ve found I’m really good at the human form as well as gestures, so I’d like to develop that part of myself a little more,” she said.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Dilyn Stewart

Artist Raven "Bird Burger" Jones speaks on behalf of her artwork outside of Magpie Cafe on Laurel St. on Monday, Oct. 16, 2017.