Jair Garay is a professional artist, painter, and musician who has been involved in the
London music and art scene for 15 years. His paintings have been sold in galleries in London and Orillia, and internationally by commission. Jair is experienced in multiple media, from pencil sketches to acrylics in the styles of abstract, realism, and impressionism. Jair’s passion for drawing began at an early age. Inspired by his father’s artwork, painting became an early obsession, followed closely by his love of music. Throughout his life, that passion has not wavered, and creation – whether music, drawing or painting – is at the heart of who he is.
As a teenager, he studied technical drawing which helped him hone his skills, learning to use professional tools and apply new techniques. At 15, Jair met a colleague from CENAR, the Conservatory of Arts in El Salvador, who introduced him to the world of acrylics, and through a shared love of art, they became best friends (RIP). About the same age, Jair’s passion for creating music was also deepening – a passion that to this day remains his biggest inspiration for his art.
In music, Jair started playing harmonica in his early childhood, and guitar when he was 15, playing metal rock with friends. His favourite styles to play are classic rock and Latin rhythms. Upon arriving in Canada from El Salvador in 1996 Jair was the leader in his church band where he learned to play other instruments, such as charango, bass, and drums. In 2000, he formed an Andes music band ‘Vientos & Cuerdas’ (Winds & Strings) where they played in churches, birthdays, and weddings.
“I want to leave something behind in this world so that long after I’m gone, people can
still see the beautiful world the way that I do, leaving my thoughts on canvas for
centuries to come.”