Issue 20: Dystinct Journey of Jeffrey Hutchinson Fay

My name is Jeffrey Hutchinson Fay. I grew up in Salem, Massachusetts, but now call Kennebunk, Maine my home. Being creative has always been a passion of mine. I really enjoyed art class in school, but I didn't start oil painting until I was 11 years old. Surprisingly, this was also the same age I started to learn in school.

Jeffrey's story

My parents and teachers first thought that my brain wasn't fully developed. So, they thought it best to keep me back a year in kindergarten. It took until the fourth grade for me to be diagnosed with dyslexia. Even after I was diagnosed, there were years where I wasn't properly educated. I did not receive a proper education until I was in Middle School. I found myself lucky to have gone to Landmark School after leaving the public school system. Not only was Landmark School only two towns over from where we lived, but it turns out it was one of the few schools in the country that taught dyslexics at the time. You may also find it interesting that I am a twin. My twin brother and I are both dyslexic and are also both artists. Luckily, it was very easy for us to get into Landmark, but it was very difficult to convince the public school system that they could not teach my brother and me.

It was exhausting getting tested every year to see my improvement. My mother spent hours documenting every interaction we had with the school systems, in fear that they may take away the education that was working for us. When I was old enough, I attended my IEP meetings. It was very sad to hear how extremely dyslexic I was. Then still, I did not receive the proper education that I needed until I was in middle school. In the midst of all the confusion, art showed me how 'I learned'.

When I create art, I am able to see each step in making a painting by first visualizing the image in its simplest form. I first block out each shape by warm and cool colors then add my lights and darks. I unintentionally use the same method in my everyday life. For instance, when I became a properly trained carpenter, I could visually see the projects from start to finish. I pick up on things very quickly. This doesn't mean that I haven't had my fair share of mistakes. In fact, I've made lots of mistakes.