Jay Hester describes himself as a Southerner by birth but a Westerner at heart. Jay’s passion for Western culture is evident in his depictions of the rustic beauty and depth of the people and places that define the American West, particularly Native Americans. Although Western subjects are his primary passion, it by no means encompasses the spectrum of his interests or talent.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1940, he grew up in Birmingham. After graduating from Samford University in Alabama, Jay was accepted into the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles where he further refined his painting skills. He then worked as an illustrator for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in Georgia. After several years in commercial a...