On a stifling summer evening under an auburn sky, just outside the peaks of the Three Sisters in the Organ Mountains, an artist was born. Jordyn Ashley Payne, the first daughter to Vic and Vicky Payne, began her life on August, 17th 1989 in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Following four generations of ancestors born before her, Jordyn was then taken to her home in reputable Lincoln County. Two years later the family headed North to the Rocky Mountains. She would begin her childhood in the town of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. From a very young age, the artist in her became apparent. At only the age of 10, her vivid imagination, and ability to create vibrant colors were depicted in her first painting. It was a seascape, crafted only from her mind’s eye, thousands of miles from the closest ocean. For the young artist, this was only the tip of the iceberg. When she isn’t painting, Jordyn’s most personal interests remain in the great outdoors, reflecting so much of the artwork she has fashioned. In the rivers of Alaska, her passion for fly fishing began. Today, amongst her many talents fly fishing continues to fuel her inspiration. Jordyn has spent time deepening her perception of color and closeness to nature, from the Red Rocks of Utah to the deserts of New Mexico, to the peaks of the Tetons, and through the vast forests of Yellowstone. She has hiked, fished, explored, and absorbed the meaning of the Wilderness throughout her young life. Amongst her travels, she has also studied alongside many artists including Robert Moore and Michael Ome Untiedt. It is from these experiences, that she has captivated her audience. It is her unmatchable ability to capture such intriguing hues and shades of color of the brutal but beautiful honesty of the outdoors—to experience familiarity, the cold of winter, the smell of rain, the sound of aspen leaves quaking, or the kiss of sun on your skin. The feeling her artwork can bring can be matched only by the actual presence of the humbled artist herself. This keen ability earned her the “Gilly Fales Award” in 2014 for the Young Aspiring Artists. The Award-Winning Painting was displayed by the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming. Jordyn makes her home in the notorious town of Meeteetse, Wyoming on the outskirts of Yellowstone National Park, surrounded by her close family and friends. It is in this quaint western town that she has written many a song to play on her acoustic guitar, gives painting lessons to her nephew, finds new inspirations for her work and atop her career spends her time being a loving daughter, sister, aunt, and friend.

2014 Gilly Fales Fine Art Award, Buffalo Bill Art Show & Sale