by Shanon Weaver
“See a penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck,” as the saying goes.
But what if you see a computer chip, a lampshade, some old typewriter parts, and a couple of broken kitchen utensils?
Well, if you’re Jay Garrison, you make a unique and beautiful piece of art!
Let’s back up, though. Jay wasn’t born an artist, but his early life certainly sculpted him into the man he is today. Jay was born and raised in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. He and his friends enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, and fishing. At 14, he contracted polio – a life-changing experience.
"That was in 1949, a bad year for polio,” Jay says, “but I survived, and the doctors recommended swimming as a form of therapy."
Jay dove right in. With swimming, he met a coach who would later become the Olympic swimming coach in 1964, further inspiring Jay to push through his physical limitations.
After high school, Jay attended Oklahoma A&M, (now Oklahoma State University) initially pursuing geology. However, he soon discovered that his strengths lay elsewhere. After a brief stint as an Interior Design major, Jay discovered a passion that eventually led him to earn a degree in Fine Arts.
Jay's turn in the graphic design realm began in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he worked as a one-man art department for a local store. His creativity and persistence caught the attention of Texas Instruments, where he eventually became the art director in the technical illustration area. But the corporate world had its downsides, as we all know, and Jay eventually decided to leave.
"I got tired of the politics,” Jay says. “So I went to an art studio down in Dallas. We had a great group of guys.”
Jay's career took another turn when he began experimenting with "found object" sculptures in the 1970s. Inspired by a fellow artist named Al Kidwell, Jay started creating art from discarded materials, creating whimsical pieces from everyday items. His first sculpture, a train made from old typewriter parts, set the stage for his future creations.
"When I tore an old typewriter apart, the striking keys…they fell out in a familiar shape," he says. "I thought, my word, that is a cow catcher on a train!"
That realization sparked his imagination like a locomotive and led him to create more intricate pieces. His sculptures quickly gained popularity at local art shows.
"You could just see people’s eyes light up. It was wonderful," Jay says. "Especially the men, you know...when they came into the booth, they absolutely loved it because it was something that they could recognize."
Over the years, Jay participated in multiple art shows, including the Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson, Texas, and events in Houston, Albuquerque, and Kansas City. The physical demands of participating in art shows eventually took their toll, though.
"It just got very difficult to keep doing it," Jay says, referring to the logistical challenges of transporting his sculptures. "So, I just finally gave up the art shows."
Despite stepping back from the road, Jay continues to create in his workshop, though he now only sells his work through one gallery.
In his retirement, Jay has embraced new experiences, including cruise vacations, thanks to his wife, Barbara. Both quite the card sharks, Jay and Barbara met at a poker table and quickly became close friends before deciding to marry.
"I'd been married to my first wife for 62 years, and we never went on a cruise,” Jay says. “When I got remarried after my wife passed away, Barbara got me going on these cruises, and they're pretty cool."
Jay says the best advice he can give anyone is just to get up every morning and be positive.
“I have friends who have a negative outlook, and I don’t understand it,” he says. “I’m coming up on 89 years, and I’m happy I’m still around! Enjoying my kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. The years fly by, so you’ve got to stay positive.”
As the gears of life continue to grind, we know Jay will just use them in his sculptures…along with old watch parts, broken egg beaters, discarded globes, and whatever else he happens across. Here’s to Jay Garrison and his life of positivity and imagination!
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