Today we’d like to introduce you to Ray Harris.
Hi Ray, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Ray Harris was born in Missouri October 4, 1952 and traveled with his family often before settling in California. His father, Joe, worked for NASA in the 1960’s and 70’s. His mother, Thelma, raised six children and encouraged Ray’s interest in Art.
Ray moved to Southern.California studied at Palomar Community College. His interest in illustrating inspired him to attend and receive a BFA from Art Center College of Design 1978. He was immediately hired at Walt Disney where continued to grow and excel as an artist.
His love of drawing and painting has propelled him forward, working in Hollywood as a storyboard artist, illustrator, and caricature artist.
Ray worked as an artist at Walt Disney Feature Animation from 1978- 2002 with sixteen feature animation credits as well as several short titles.
“It has been a rewarding journey, making friends along the way. Fellow teachers, artists, film-makers, all sharing a commongoal: to keep the spirit of drawing and learning alive.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It seems to me that every decade brings changes to the business of being an artist. The best way to work through the problems is to accept the challenges and learn to change and adapt to the needs of the business community. One has to be willing to take criticism, compromise and work well with others.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I was trained as a traditional artist, I stay excited by developing and learning different mediums as well as computer arts.. My favorite thing to do is to paint, but I also enjoy cutting silhouettes, and drawing caricatures. It’s important to change your approach to your work to stay creative.
I love to work with others and develop projects that tell a story.. I feel everyone has a story to tell and through commissions and projects I can help bring their idea to fruition.
How do you define success?
This is the most difficult question, but I think the answer is probably the simplest. You need to love what you do and stay excited about doing it. Success is like having a great day at the beach, coming home and not tracking sand everywhere. It’s not attainable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.RayHarrisStudio.com
- Instagram: @Raycasso
- Facebook: @Raycasso
- LinkedIn: Ray Harris / Raycasso
- Youtube: @RayHarrisRaycasso1012
