He was artistically trained at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee and at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris.

Jonathan became a full time painter in 1986, mostly working in watercolour and collage.

He is a keen art teacher, regularly running children’s workshops as well as adult night-classes. In 2006, he conducted a collage and painting workshop in Morgan Academy, Dundee for the Racial Equality Commission enabling 2 school pupils to reach the final.