Today we’d like to introduce you to Ray Lykins.
Hi Ray, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My art life started in Miss Belcher’s kindergarten class in Ft. Oglethorpe. Every morning, we’d traipse downstairs to a huge magical room filled with building blocks and art supplies. The main attraction? Funny smelling tempra paint in three colors: red, yellow and that odd turquoise blue. I always covered every inch of my paper in swirling colors…no white space!
My art life went dormant after that. Like a good boomer, I followed the rules, got my degree in something practical, and started a career in business.
I did no art since childhood until about 15 years ago, when I created some art with tobacco leaves grown in our back yard. The leaves were huge and beautiful and inspiring. I wanted to make them last, so I mounted them to a canvas and covered them in polyurethane. My son and his wife still have that first piece.
That broke the ice, and I started painting and creating regularly. I can’t really draw. (My people are stick figures and my horses and dogs look pretty much the same. My cats have whiskers to set them apart.) But I’ve always been a visual person…love colors, shapes, proportions, balance and texture. I remember selling my first piece…shocked that anyone would part with their hard-earned cash for something I had created. A few years later, I retired, left the full-time corporate world and began painting in earnest.
So, thank you, Miss Belcher. Today I paint every day in my home studio…invite folks to come by and enjoy my art (no purchase required!) …have an occasional show…and love every minute of it.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve been fortunate in that things have been relatively smooth for me. I never relied on art as a full-time income source. That’s a tough gig and I admire those talented and tenacious enough to do so.
My biggest struggle now is finding vehicles and venues to share my work.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In general, my work is traditional acrylic paint on canvas. But much of it involves paint plus different kinds of paper…colored tissue paper, strips of aged pages from vintage books, old dress patterns, cancelled checks from the 1980’s, sections of pages from used daytimer calendars, miscellaneous handwritten notes. And I love gold leaf to add a touch of drama.
Some of my work is very similar to simple origami repeated hundreds of times to form a 3-D grid. Love the shadows and patterns created.
I also do some natural wood sculptures when I can find the right materials.
It’s hard for me to stay in one lane, so I’m often playing with different styles and media.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I recently read about a study a sociologist conducted with a group of 90-year-olds. He asked them, “If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently?” Their answers generally fell into three categories.
Risk more. Reflect more. And spend more time on things that will live on after death.
Some good advice I wish I had followed earlier. I’ve never been a huge risk taker, but I’ve discovered that you can be successful as either the tortoise or the hare. If your temperament is to take risks, great! If not, that’s ok too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://raylykinsart.com
- Instagram: raylykinsart
- Facebook: raylykinsart
