Pop-Folk Portraits in Bold Colour

Jonty of Nantwich is a Cheshire-based painter and illustrator whose joyful, graphic portraits celebrate the charm and eccentricity of everyday British life. Working under a self-styled pseudonym that nods both to place and persona, Jonty has created a vibrant visual world filled with faces that feel instantly familiar — half-comic, half-Cubist, and entirely human.

His work is instantly recognisable: clean black lines, saturated colour blocks, and playful geometric rhythms that turn ordinary expressions into something iconic. Each portrait is part observation, part invention — drawn from pub chatter, café corners, and the characters who populate market towns and high streets. With their striped shirts, rosy cheeks, and mischievous eyes, Jonty’s figures seem to exist somewhere between a Punch cartoon and a modern mural.

Largely self-taught, Jonty blends traditional painting with digital techniques, moving easily between brush, pen and stylus. His process begins with rapid sketches — faces that arrive almost uninvited — which he then refines into vivid, contemporary icons. Influenced by pop art, mid-century design, and artists such as Hockney, Burgerman, and Picasso, his work walks a bright line between humour and heart.

Behind the cheerfulness lies a quiet study of identity and emotion. Each portrait captures a mood — the daydreamer, the joker, the quietly content — rendered with warmth and wit. Walter describes his pieces as “emotional caricatures,” reflections of how people carry their inner worlds on their faces.

Recent collections such as The Bright Side and Modern Folk explore the British character through pattern and colour, creating a gallery of modern icons: bearded romantics, bashful optimists, and soulful misfits. Whether painted on canvas, printed in limited editions, or scaled up for murals, Walter’s art radiates personality and positivity.

When asked what he hopes people feel when they see his work, Jonty simply says:

“A grin. Maybe even a bit of recognition. We’re all one colour block away from joy.”