Bio:
Jay has always been an artist. From his earliest memories he has played with clay or drew or painted. Upon entering higher education he had planned to continue his study of pottery but became enchanted with painting. After finishing his undergraduate degree, he pursued and completed a Master of Fine Arts degree focusing on painting and drawing.
While raising a family he worked in the environmental protection field and contributed to many successful and award-winning waste reduction and recycling programs.
During that time, he continued to produce art work, designed and built houses and became proficient in woodworking and furniture making. One day he made a table top. He thought “this table needs round legs, not squared legs from a table saw. So, he bought a lathe. He turned the legs, and thought “wow, this is fun!” Well, he never finished the table and became been so taken by woodturning he threw himself into learning and producing as much and as fast as the lathe allowed him to turn.
Jay has successfully blended his woodworking and painting skills to create unique polychrome lathe turned and sculpted pieces. These works are inspired by the daily shifting from day to night, the mysteries and imagery of nature, the textures, layers and undulations of the landscape and most particularly images of deep space.
A healthy shop and a healthy environment are important to Jay. In support of that, he seeks out and uses locally grown wood that is considered urban salvage as well as manufacturing rejects that would otherwise be disposed while only occasionally and sparingly using imported woods for accents. He uses water based acrylic paint for color on his pieces. He finishes his work with water-based lacquer. For plain wood finishes he uses a thistle oil-based product.
Jay had been somewhat recluse when it has come to his artwork, generally avoiding competitions and exhibitions. But with the encouragement of friends and family, has reentered that world and has exhibited widely, with his work being published in woodworking and woodturning magazines nationally and internationally.