We were lucky to catch up with Luna Lee Ray recently and have shared our conversation below.
Luna Lee, appreciate you joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
I wish I could fully support myself solely from the sales of original paintings!! However, I consider myself extremely fortunate that I am able to support myself through an ever changing combination of painting sales, commissions, sales of commercial work( such as reproductions and greeting cards,) and teaching art classes to adults part-time. They all fall under the umbrella of working artist, and I get to think about art and talk about art in one way or another every day. When I was younger I had made the conscious decision to NOT have a day job that was art- related, so that all of my creative energy would go into my own paintings. I worked a variety of retail jobs that I didn’t think about the moment I walked out the door, and that felt like freedom to me. At some point, I started to realize that this was actually more draining on my artistic process than teaching art would be, so I started teaching one class a week, then 2, then 4 , and slowly built up a student following and my own eclectic curriculum. I need to give thanks to the Carrboro Artscenter for providing me with the space and freedom to create these classes. I have now been partnering with them for over twenty years. It was a necessary and productive shift, and being an art teacher has absolutely enhanced my own creativity and commitment to my own artistic work.
Luna Lee, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I always knew I would be an artist, from a young age. I was encouraged by my artistic mother, and inspired by the mythology of my great great uncle Man Ray, who left the family and the country to pursue his life as an artist. I received my BFA in printmaking and painting, and then spent a few years being nomadic before settling here in North Carolina in 1998. My desire to participate in the fabulous Orange County Artists Tour was part of my motivation to buy a little home in Carrboro. I built a studio on the back of my 1/2 acre property, and got to work! My mixed media paintings are inspired by the natural elements and processes- air, water, light, rain, wind. I work in layers , obscuring and emphasizing, playing with accident and intention, until a composition emerges. My work has an atmospheric lightness and a depth and mystery that draws you in.
In addition to the Orange County Studio Tour, you can find my work locally at Frank Gallery , now in Carrboro, or by setting up a studio visit.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being an artist, for me, is that I spend most of my time thinking about nature, symbolism, spirituality, the cosmos, and the meaning and miracle of life on this planet. I realize that sounds a bit grand, but it is really true for me- my art comes from a spiritual place inside me, from a deep love of nature, from a fascination with earth and sky and atmosphere. It is a moving meditation for me, and I think one can see that in the work. The most rewarding part of being an art teacher is getting to help other people find their voice as an artist, to validate their processes and growth and individuality, and to help them develop an art practice. I am in awe every day that my students put so much trust in me, and I take my commitment to them and their work very seriously.
Contact Info:
- Website: Lunaleeray.com
- Instagram: #lunaleeray