Arts IC | ArtiFactory - Imagine a place to create

Jayson Reid, a self-taught artist born in Toronto and now based in Iowa City, discovered his passion while attending the beautiful University of Iowa. Art entered Jayson’s life unexpectedly when friends brought over art supplies. That night, paint, music, and wine flowed freely as they painted together. With the first splash of color, Jayson knew he had found his life’s passion, and he continues to paint at a prolific pace to this day.

The paintings Jayson creates explore the ethereal dance of bright, abstract colors in surreal scenes. Each piece is layered with sculpted, two-dimensional human figures that evoke powerful imagery for the viewer to interpret. Jayson’s goal in painting is to help people smile, find joy, and fill their sails with hope. He believes each canvas offers freedom in the moment, allowing viewers to look beyond and find peace and bliss in this world. Jayson believes art has a unique power to move people and grant them a window to explore new concepts and thoughts.

Jayson paints free-form, rarely starting with a plan. Each piece evolves with every stroke of the brush and layer of color, naturally emerging from the canvas as its own glorious statement for the world to ponder. While painting, so many new ideas occur that Jayson often paints at a fevered pace where time and consciousness vanish.