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Bio

Jay was born in Springfield, Illinois in 1963. He and his brother led a 'Currier & Ives' existence but all that changed at the age of seven when his parents divorced.

Spending the week with his mother and weekends with his father Jay started to understand how different his parents were. It would be this dichotomy that would develop not only the artist but also the person he is today.

After the split, Jay's mother pursued a career in Social Work while exploring her passion for art. Sculpture, weaving and pottery filled their apartment. When staying with his father, an insurance executive, time was spent fishing, throwing footballs and roughhousing all embraced in a loving, pragmatic mindset. Jay was unaware at the time, but these divergent lifestyles demonstrated the ability to view the same subject from a different perspective.

At the age of ten Jay moved to Wisconsin to live with his father full-time. He quickly adjusted to his new rural environment and lived a ‘Huck Finn’ lifestyle. After several moves around the upper Great Lakes, Jay, his father and new stepmother settled down for good in the Chicago-land area. Those many relocations, his versatile nature and a quick sense of humor made it easier to break the ice and assimilate into his new surroundings. He enjoyed a carefree teenage lifestyle of suburbs. Sports, steady girlfriends and goofing off were at the top of his social calendar.

It was in high school that Jay started to awaken to his inclination for art. After being reprimanded by an art teacher for making his weavings too tight, he befriended a fellow student who shared his love for art but also had a practical sensibility. It was this friendship that solidified the notion of embracing art but still concentrating on practical pursuits such as math and science. Art wasn't an all-or-nothing proposition.

Jay attended Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin with no academic direction in mind. His first lesson however, was leaving the security of his home and living among students who hailed from all over the world. As he looks back on his life, it was those relationships and diverse perspectives that influenced him more than anything. He left Beloit with a degree in Geology, a heavy load of Art History and no direction.

With graduation behind him and no desire to pursue the oil business or academia, Jay moved to Maine with a friend to work construction for the summer. He loved New England and felt it would be a nice place to put down some roots, but the idea of settling down so young terrified him. His boss told him he had a knack for the business and could see him a supervisor in short order. Quickly forced into thinking about his future and unsure construction was his calling, Jay braved a New Hampshire blizzard and drove to Arizona to meet up with friends.

After failing to sign on with State of Arizona to start his geology career, Jay landed a job in an art studio. He started out in the frame shop but was quickly pressed into an apprenticeship under a Master Printmaker. After two years in the program, he started developing his own style. He deeply dove into photography, turning his small apartment into a darkroom. Art became his life. Jay eventually became a principal artist for the studio, but also wore many hats such as framer, company photographer and art director.

During his stay with the studio, Jay's art philosophy had taken shape. He used his parent's different perspectives as the foundation of his statement. Truth is Perception. Jay is not afraid to fail at an experience. He believes success in art, as with life, is truly trial and error. "Each piece is an incomplete exercise and can be reshaped and pounded into a success."

His influences are many, diverse, and constantly changing. Jay believes artists should not totally isolate themselves in ‘art-thought’, but develop other interests that run tantamount to art. He sites Robert Rauschenburg's resourcefulness, Jackson Pollack's physicality, Gerhard Richter’s versatility and Richard Wentworth's cerebral execution as tops on his list. Paleontologist Stephen J. Gould, architects Frank Gehry and E.L. Boulleé, filmmaker Peter Greenaway, Abraham Lincoln and Elvis are other influences. "It's hard to put your finger on only a few people. You get older, experience different things and make new discoveries all the time. If someone asked me my 10 favorite songs now, the list would look a lot different now than ten years ago!" His upbeat attitude is reflected in his playful style of painting with color being the keystone of each piece. "In art, I don't believe your are chasing a ‘magnum opus’ but, in fact, on a journey; individual works are stepping stones to the next!"

While shopping at his favorite home improvement store, Jay received an unexpected bonus when he met his future wife. They are parents of a young, active boy who has added another layer in his life, and undoubtedly is reflected in his art. Jay still loves activity and plays hockey when he can squeeze in the time. He and his wife are in the design stage of a major remodel to their house in which they intend to do the lion's share of the work.

Recently, Jay began working for RFA and really loves the artistic freedom he is given. He believes it’s an environment that stimulates freshness, unpredictability while steering clear of contrivance. “It’s a wonderful place to explore different looks, mediums and techniques and to continue my belief that 'art is a journey'.”

JAYHALL