Jarrett West was born in 1964 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  His childhood years were spent on a cattle ranch in Eastern Wyoming and on a farm in Teton Vally, Idaho.

After developing an interest in ceramics during high school, he moved back to Santa Fe and began a series of apprenticeships with Mary Ann Gerber, Peter Dougan, and Robert Brodsky that would span a nine year period.

During this period of learning and producing high-fired ceramics, he also embarked on the practice of home building.  He has designed and built numerous homes and studios working in adobe, straw-bale and stone vernaculars.

Most recently, the desire to combine the knowledge of ceramics with the practice of building structure has lead to his interest in abstract minimal sculpture with some sculptures reaching the height of ten feet.