Alan Ray

Painter

Alan is an academy-trained, traditional oil painter with a passion for still life, portraiture, and figures. He is a signature member (AFCA) of the Federation of Canadian Artists and an elected member of the Ontario Society of Artists, the Society of Canadian Artists, the International Guild of Realism, and the Oil Painters of America. Alan exhibits regularly with these societies and serves as a technical consultant with some of them.  He is the founder/president of FCA Toronto, a chapter of the FCA and not-for-profit corporation that offers exhibition and professional development opportunities to artists. 

Born in Waterloo, Ontario, Alan worked both in international relations and as an entrepreneur before following his dream of becoming a professional artist. His paintings tend to depict quiet, private places with an air of mystery and intrigue. He describes his style as classical realism, a form of representational art that exhibits a preference for order, beauty, harmony and completeness, and the representation of nature based on direct observation using traditional methods.  Alan counts the Dutch Old Masters among his major influences. The paintings featured in this show were created in a style called “Alla Prima”, which refers to the process of completing an oil painting in one session. Each painting seeks to explore a certain theme established within his group of atelier-trained still life painters.

Alan Ray’s work is on permanent display at the gallery. To see more of his work go to our online SHOP.