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HOME : REPRODUCTIONS : PAINTINGS : BIOGRAPHY : CONTACT |
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HOME : REPRODUCTIONS : PAINTINGS : BIOGRAPHY : CONTACT |
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Oliver
William Ray was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba on the first day of fall in 1972. As
the youngest of four siblings, he became a keen observer.
An eclectic art collection complemented the family's vast library of artistic
resources,
and left the young “student” immersed in Fine Arts from the
beginning. The
most immediate and constant images in his life were of art.
His uncle, now an internationally renowned illustrator, was busy studying
Fine Arts in France. George Ray,
Oliver’s Grandfather, was a commercial artist for Brigdens, one of Canada's
oldest graphic arts firms. His
Great Grandfather, also named George, wrote plays and novels (most notably the
adventure romance “Kasba”, published in 1915).
And Oliver’s Great Aunt Joy, who studied at the Ontario School of Art,
was an accomplished landscape painter.
Each of these relatives added to the family’s extensive collection of
works and greatly influenced Oliver’s first creative impulses. After an adventurous trip to Hong Kong and Australia, the young artist enrolled at the University of Northern British Columbia. There he was elected President of the school’s student association and became the first person to receive a Northern Studies degree in Canada. Like his great grandfather, a Conservative member of the Manitoba government, Oliver represented the Progressive Conservatives in the 2000 federal election- a campaign that became the federal party's last stand. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 inspired Oliver to join the Canadian Armed Forces, where he was commissioned an officer. A year later, he married his University sweetheart, Christie Lee Westman in a small Anglican church in the tiny community of Quick, BC. Their honeymoon was a backwoods trip through northern BC to Alaska.
As Oliver worked in various capacities, struggling to make painting a full-time gig, Christie honed her business skills running marketing programs for a GIS company, a securities brokerage, an internet stock promoter, a kitchen supply manufacturer and some very prominent Prince George forestry businesses. Eventually, the couple created an online gallery where they interact directly with the general public. They discovered a print-making technique that allows people to own affordable, unique works of art as an alternative to original paintings. Christie distributes monthly email updates of the latest paintings to a steadily increasing list of collectors, has developed relationships with an ever-growing number of stores that carry prints, and is always looking for new ways to increase business. Oliver paints full time, spending long days developing his style and exploring different techniques and subject matter. His best ideas are stolen glimpses from day-to-day life. The quiet contemplation of an upcoming day over a cup of morning coffee…or the intense immersion of all one’s senses while reading a good book. He captures the emotion and passion in everyday life. The couple now works fulltime from their home/studio in North Central BC, where Christie manages the business and Oliver continues to develop his unique, expressive style. |
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Get updates on new paintings! Each month Christie sends a "sneak peek" of the newest paintings and reproductions to collectors via email. If you would like to be included, please send an email to... **Your email address is kept confidential and will never be used for anything other than the monthly messages! |
After
his stint in the Military, Oliver was hired by the Deputy Premier of British
Columbia (and Minister of Health Services) to be her representative in the
largely rural riding of Prince George – Mount Robson.