jay shugart

Everyone meet Michigan-based oil painter Jay Shugart.

Jay works primarily in oil paint through original works and commissions, he creates paintings that reflect the things that matter most to him. That’s why cats appear throughout so much of his work.

For many people, they might seem like recurring subjects or familiar companions. But for Jay, they’re something more personal. Through struggles with mental health, his cats have been a source of comfort, connection, and a reason to keep moving forward. Naturally, they’ve found their way onto the canvas.

Alongside these feline figures, Jay’s work often explores distorted human forms and unconventional imagery. The paintings can feel playful, strange, vulnerable, or unsettling, but they’re always rooted in curiosity rather than expectation.

One of the ideas Jay returns to often is that artists don’t need to have everything figured out before they begin. In a creative world filled with pressure to find a style, build a following, or create a perfect body of work, he believes it’s okay to be uncertain.

It’s okay to not know exactly what you’re doing. Creativity isn’t always about having a plan.

Sometimes it’s about following what interests you and trusting that the meaning will reveal itself along the way.

At its core, Jay’s work is a reminder that art doesn’t have to justify its existence.

You can paint what you love.

You can create what feels important.

You can make the things you wish existed in the world.

And that’s more than enough.