Jay bought his first hot rod magazine at 10 years old. By the age of 13, he was already building and
spray painting bicycles and model cars. At the age of 14, he attended his first drag race, and "the hook was set"!
At 15 he bought his first car and immediately started modifying it. In junior high, and high school, he drew
cars feverishly while taking any art classes available. In '65, at the age of 16 he painted his first car.
By '72 he was working for others, branching out heavily into motorcycles, street machines, and anything else that
could be covered in decorative paint.
He has built chassis, fiberglass bodies, engines, transmissions, and been involved in numerous complete builds,
but Jay could never avoid being drawn back to the creativity of painting.
While pursuing his passion for cars, he also got married, had three children, moved from Illinois to sunny Arizona,
worked as a printer, machinist, heavy equipment operator, railroad brakeman and locomotive operator.
By '86 he finally went into the business full-time. Lowriders, choppers, restorations, 50's customs, kit cars,
drag cars, nothing was turned down as a "canvas" for paintwork.
His work has appeared many times on magazine covers, or in feature articles, in Truckin', Hot Bike, Iron Works, Hot Rod,
Super Street Machine, VW Trends, All Chevy, Super Chevy, Hot Rod Show World, Low Rider, Mini Truckin', Street Rodder, in
newspapers, in calendars, and on TV.
Jay's work has won numerous show awards, including Best Paint, Best Graphics, Best Use Of Color & Design, and....
Best Of Show!
Today Jay is permanently settled in Tucson with his immensely supportive wife, Loretta, their 6 grown children, and their
families.
Jay does fiberglass prototyping and modification, and custom bodywork, but painting is his specialty.
There is a "How-To" book coming soon, and possibly some supporting videos, plus a much more involved
website is on the horizon. While he offers all styles of paintwork, he plans to incorporate more pioneering
design and technique.
In the many years Jay has worked in Tucson, he has gained some reliable allies, Tom McDonald, a 30 veteran striper/sign
painter, and Hugh Frazier, a 30 year veteran rod builder/metal fabricator. Throughout this site you will see
their dependable, quality work, also.
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