I credit my artistic outlook largely to the 1940 film “Fantasia.” My parents knew I
loved music and had an inclination for it, so though we were rarely ever taken to the
theatre for a movie…they made an exception for this. It was a major event for me at
age six, and little did I suspect how much it would impact the rest of my life. My parents
didn’t know at the time that I was equally interested in the visual arts because, well…I
didn’t know it myself either.
I was deeply impacted by the music of this film, of course, but the fantastical world
presented on the screen through artistic animation touched me just as deeply. It was an
epiphany. I discovered I was more interested in the settings for the characters in the
film instead of the characters themselves. I wanted to live in the depths of that
mysterious, magical, lush world onscreen. I wanted to explore it.
And so…to this day, that is what I capture on canvas, or more specifically, linen.
The mystery, the intrigue, the exotic and ephemeral qualities of my work are what make
it identifiable, along with saturated hues. The subject itself varies. I tend to focus on
closeup views of plants, flowers and insects. However, the essence of water and its
refracted light will seize my imagination as well, so you will find some coastal paintings,
along with waterfalls and ponds. Even aquatic life, like jellyfish, lion fish and koi take
center stage on occasion.
Looking back on that childhood experience in the movie theatre, and being taken
to another world via the film “Fantasia,” is what continues to fascinate me to this very
day, which may be one of the reasons my colors are so intense, vibrant and saturated.
The enchanted landscapes of Walt Disney are very subtle in my paintings, and may not
be immediately noticeable…but that is where the inspiration was born.
Center of Attention - Artist Hunter Jay
