A south Georgia native, Clay Custer began painting as a child on family trips to Florida’s gulf coast.  He later earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from The University of Georgia, and his Master of Fine Arts from Utah State University in Logan, Utah.  Clay lived in Utah for eleven years prior to returning to south Georgia, and his work continues to show the influence of coastal, rocky mountain, and desert landscapes.  Through his non-representational and representational paintings, Clay expresses and illustrates man’s connection to the natural world.

“We live in a world that is becoming more mechanical and virtual.  It is important to me to preserve that which is human.  A simple hand, making an image, stating what is
 important in one’s life.”

“My paintings are not as much about the inside of the rectangle as much as they are the edges of the rectangle.”