Paul Jason Hurtado (born 1978) was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. 

Growing up in his early teens, he began perceiving colors and forms differently across graffiti, sculptures, and urban landscapes in New York, and he grew particularly fond of the artwork displayed in his uncle’s residence in New Jersey. 

He graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1995. In April 1999 he enrolled at Monroe College to pursue an AAS in Business Administration and gradually developed a strong interest in Marketing and its creative strategies. 

Self-taught in web design in the early 2000s, he founded, designed, and published three online publications, and while crafting those colorful websites he increasingly recognized the artistry in his subjects. 

In mid-2023 he taught himself to paint on canvas and to design sculptures, becoming an avid enthusiast of artists’ work worldwide. 

In late 2025 he earned a certification in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for Web Developers from Johns Hopkins University.

In April 2026 he completed courses in Introduction to Psychology and The Science of Well-Being at Yale University, growing ever more drawn to how psychological principles illuminate the processes of painting, the workings of the mind, and the pursuit of happiness.