Jeff Muhs was born in Southampton, New York, on June 24th 1966. His early interests in art were encouraged by his parents, Captain Fred and Geraldine Muhs. Fred Muhs, himself an artist and third generation hunting and fishing guide, instilled in Jeff an intimate knowledge of their local natural environment. Thus the barrier beach of Long Island's south shore would later become the heart of the inspiration for Jeff's work. It was in these early years that Jeff, also a world champion sculptor first learned the art of wood sculpting from his father. It is this traditional and exacting art form that developed in Jeff a dedication and penchant for excellence he has carried throughout his life. From 1984 to 1988 Jeff attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City, from which he received a Bachelors degree in Fine Art. It was there that he had his first formal art training and developed the techniques and tastes that would later shape his artistic aesthetics. After graduation, he stayed in New York City and worked as an illustrator and studio sculptor. Three years later, unsatisfied with the direction of his career and stifled by the limitations of commercial artwork, Jeff returned to Southampton to pursue his own artistic development. It was through his own analysis of art history and what it taught him that Jeff began the evolution toward what his work constitutes today.