Born in Darlington in 1949, the first son of James Lindsey Bird, Jonathan studied at the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Darlington, where he achieved one of the highest grades in the country for A level Art. After leaving school, he worked freelance as a sound recordist for television for two years.​

In 1971, he joined the Graphic Design course at Canterbury College of Art, where he met Daphne. They set up home in Whitstable, where they brought up their two children. After college, Jon worked in the radio division of COI. Two years later he became designer, then studio manager at an audio-visual studio in Kensington. Returning to freelance sound in 1978, he worked for European and American television networks for the next twenty-five years. ​

For the last twelve years daughter Jenni has been living and working in Tuscany, and the combination of frequent visits to the Italian countryside and a move away from television work has provided the stimulus for Jon’s return to painting. As well as Tuscan views, favourite subjects are trees, boats, and of course, the fabulous Whitstable sunsets.​

Jon has exhibited in several Whitstable and Canterbury galleries, as well as Columbia Road, East London, and holds regular Open House events. His paintings are now in private collections around the world, from Italy and France to Japan, Sweden and Australia.​

In August 2005, Jon and Daphne moved into the heart of Whitstable; they are now restoring their 200-year-old wooden home: a former alehouse with a colourful history. ​