Heyyyyyyy! I'm Jay!

Where I come from and where I gain inspiration from 

I come from a family of artists. We are known as the Gray Duck Dynasty. Me and my brothers, Greg and Brad, grew up drawing and painting ducks. We loved entering our artwork in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest, and we all were fortunate to win Best in State for some of our duck compositions. My brother, Greg, was the first one to enter and win the contest. I admire my brother and his example. My brother was an avid fisherman, a wildlife artist, and a phenomenal potter. His sense of humor and character brought life to everyone and everything, including me. On July 23, 2011, Greg died in a fishing accident, in the act of trying to save me from drowning in an undertow on the Blacksmith Fork River. He is the reason I am here today. He's my hero. Everything I do and create is a tribute to him and his life. Because of Jesus Christ and His great and eternal sacrifice, I know I will live to see my brother again.

My Paint Instructing Experience and where I teach paint classes

I started out working as a paint teacher at Liquid Canvas on 25th Street in the Summer of 2017. I taught adults and kids of all ages how to paint. I worked at Liquid Canvas for 3 years from 2017-2020. Unfortunately my dream job came to an end when Liquid Canvas decided to close their doors in March of 2020. I missed being a paint teacher, so I thought I would take action. With the experience I gained at Liquid Canvas, I felt confident to start my own. I'm equipped with everything I need to offer classes at any destination. I supply the paint, canvas, cups, easels, plates, napkins, chalk, and brushes. I also bring a speaker to play music! I've taught classes in WSU classrooms, in church buildings, and in people's homes. My paint classes are 2-3 hours full of creative fun for everyone!

When I started drawing caricatures and portraits of people

I started drawing faces when I was a Freshman in Junior High School in 2010. I sketched myself with each member of my family. I also sketched myself with each of my friends at school. Those first drawings were rough! Haha I look at those drawings now, and there are so many things I want to fix and change, but it was great practice and those drawings help me see the progress I have made over the years.

Art Mediums I work with

I work with Prismacolor Colored Pencil, Graphite Pencil, Acrylic Paint, Watercolor, and Clay! I also love combining mediums, taking photographs, and manipulating projects on Photoshop. I can do things by hand and/or digitally.

My Favorite Art Medium

As much as I love drawing people and painting landscapes, I would say my favorite art medium is clay! I love throwing pots on a potter's wheel and manipulating the pots by making them sculptural. I'm hoping to throw some pots on the wheel and get the kiln up and running this spring, so stay tuned! I may be selling some pottery or offering one on one classes. :)

Art e-portfolio

If you are interested in checking out more of my artwork or if you are interested in learning more about my background in art, you can click on the link to view my e-portfolio: https://spark.adobe.com/page/W7NPsaxGW4JAE/