Grazing Among the Cottonwoods, by Jay Moore, oil, 9 x 12 in.

As a boy growing up in Colorado, Jay Moore hiked and fished almost every day. "I always enjoyed the outdoors. It's where I belong," he says. That deep love of the wilderness is at the very core of Moore's being, and it is reflected in his plein air and studio paintings that were on view this past week in Jackson Hole.

After graduating from art school, Moore worked in a graphic design firm in Denver for two years before focusing on creating illustrations. After participating in a workshop with a master landscape painter, Moore began taking steps toward being a full-time painter. "After that week painting outdoors, I knew that was it," he remembers. "I knew I wanted to be a plein air painter. It took a lot for me to be in that workshop because I'd just gotten married. I stayed in a tent and bathed in the Crystal River in the morning before I'd go paint."

Spotted Bear River, by Jay Moore, oil, 9 x 12 in.

As he progressed as an artist, Moore sought out the masters of his genre and solicited critiques of his work. "I have bugged most of them," he says with a laugh. "I figure, if you want to be the best, you have to learn from the best." He also found inspiration by visiting museums and taking notes, as well as consulting his library of nearly a thousand art books.

Spotted Mare, by Jay Moore, oil, 6 x 8 in.

Since then, Moore has made painting trips throughout the West and into Canada. He plans to travel to Europe in the future and hopes to make time for his childhood love, sculpting. For more information, visit www.astoriafineart.com or www.jaymoorestudio.com.