"Lately I have been tattooing a lot of custom work. I have been composing tattoos without any outlines, and developing loose images by means of color and value. In addition, I have been designing decorative pieces that incorporate flowing curves, depth and foreshortening. I am very fond of baroque and loose Celtic designs, and gothic and roman architecture. Besides custom work, I always stay busy reproducing paintings and photographs. I enjoy doing portraits--both black and gray and color. It is a very nice balance, tattooing custom work and portraits/reproduction designs. Neither style wears on the other".
Jay admits that it's great watching the tattoo industry evolve into a creative businesss. "Soon the whole bottom part of the industry will be swept away leaving nothing mediocre behind. I can't wait". Although Jay admires some old school tattooists, he thinks that today's artists need to get in step with the times. "Much of today's real talent goes unseen, either because of lack of self-promotion, lame politics, and/or abiding by silly tattoo traditions".
In the near future, Jay plans to slightly reduce his tattooing schedule and devote more time to his academic studies. "I am taking the study of art much more seriously now. Being in college at age twenty-six, versus age eighteen, seems to have a different kind of impact on me. I am now able to enjoy the learning process. This will only positively effect my tattooing".
Jay will continually explore new artistic avenues in the years to come. "I have only begun to show my artwork around Detroit and I am looking forward to taking on other artistic challenges. I'm not quite sure how many more years I'll be tattooing, but I am sure it will always be a part of my life".
