Jay Loucks was born, grew up and works in Houston, Texas.

His early interest in art was initially inspired by his relationship with his aunt, Sarah Kahlden, a gifted painter and illustrator as well as featured trips to the museums and other after school art activities offered by Jay’s schoolteachers. These activities eventually led to a Scholastic Art Competition scholarship award to the Museum School of Fine Art. This gave him daily access to instruction and exposure to some of the best working painters and sculptors in Houston and the country at that time including Richard Stout, Charles Schorre, Lowell Collins, Herb Mears and other great Texas Modernists.

After graduation from high school, studio time at the Museum School was shared with the fine arts program at the University of Houston under Bill Anzalone and Richard Stout.

Graphic arts began to compete with painting when he was recruited by the Houston design firm, Middaugh Associates. Middaugh’s design director, Dugald Stermer, an award-winning west-coast designer/illustrator, mentored Jay’s early creative design development leading him to open his own studio, Loucks Atelier, in the early 70s. Design has been a creative venture but painting remains his passion to this day.

After a lifetime of inspired learning experiences, Jay’s paintings continue to reflect a brightness of color throughout a broad spectrum of subjects that continue to brand his landscapes, portraits, figures and still life’s.