Biography Jeff Layton

A favorite author of mine was Gabriel Garcia Márquez, to whom I was introduced to magical realism. The time metaphor fascinates me, and writing time metaphors is present in my writings.

Now I am focused on literature. I enjoy both painting and writing. To express my mind's eye narrative, I have found that writing or complex mixed media is the only way to describe the magical time elements I summoned in my creative endeavors.

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I have experienced many things in my life. To stay relevant to writing after completing my four-year military commitment. I went to college on the GI Bill. I started studying liberal arts with a focus on becoming a writer. I enjoyed my English and literature classes. I changed course after a year, realizing I might want to earn a living financially with my degree. I focused on horticulture, my second interest.

As years went on after university, I enrolled in community college and audited creative writing classes. I fell in love with writing metaphors as they entertained my visual brain. The time metaphor fascinates me, and the writing of time metaphors is present in my writings. One of my favorite authors was Gabriel García Márquez, where I was introduced to magical realism.

While experimenting with writing, I realized I was trying to combine the narrative with the visual. In doing so, I started taking graphic art classes, painting, drawing, and design. I fell in love with visual arts-painting and went on to have ten professional one-person shows in art galleries and won several awards in art showing competitions and writing.

My activities of interest: Hiked most of the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, raced my bicycle across the United States, fell in love with windsurfing, and opened a sports shop-from there, living five years in Maui, Hawaii, where I taught windsurfing, and then to go on to Kiteboarding. I am a fly fisherman and have owned a fly shop. I have created many videos of my fishing endeavors in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia…and the list continues.

I have had some spiritual experiences along the way. Some garnered through near-death in big surf, car accident, and spiritual journey deep into the British Columbia wilderness. I have participated in Native American ceremonial smokehouse sessions, where I physically experienced paranormal phenomena, ghostly shadow forms moving above my head. On another journey into the wilderness, I engaged in a practice-going to the light near-death meditation, that was so powerful that I still reflect upon it today. So, I have returned to writing and will paint with words through metaphors, experiences, and thoughts of the big C-consciousness.

I enjoy both painting and writing. Now I am focused on literature. To express my mind's eye narrative that writing or complex mixed media is the only way to describe the magical time elements I summoned in my creative endeavors.