Artist, Gray Shepard, born in 1960, originally from Texas, has lived and painted in Santa Fe, New Mexico, San Juan Capistrano, California and the San Juan Islands of Washington State. He now lives and creates art at his home studio in Seattle, Washington.
Gray paints 2 and 3-D textural acrylic paintings using the finest pigments and materials available.
Gray has been painting for more than twenty years and has been represented by some of the finest galleries in the Southwest United States, the most notable of which are Galleria Capistrano of California and Santa Fe, New Mexico the Von Grabil Gallery and the Gilbert Ortega Galleries of Scottsdale, Arizona and Impressions ll Gallery in Tucson, Arizona as well as two years with Gallery Mack in Seattle.
Gray is best known for his works on the viewer-kinetic art form called an articulator, an accordion pleated structure, which combines two distinct paintings into one. The middle view is especially intriguing. As images and colors blend, the play of light between the two sides can result in a radiance that seems to emanate from within the painting. His use of this unique art-form is the result of an intense two year collaboration with the forms innovator, California artist Shirley Chaitlin and her husband Mel.
Gray also paints on wood panels on which he combines materials such as fabrics, lace, papers, ribbon, hand-made elements, along with acrylic paints and mediums to create a rich elaborate ground for his animal and goddess pieces.
Gray’s imaginative use of acrylics can also be seen in his textural 3-D paintings of running horses, buffalos, masks, angels and guardian spirits. Using a compressed resin board with an acrylic topcoat he blends these materials together to create the impression of different kinds of metal. His hand made frames accentuates the appearance of this unique art.
Gray’s work is inspired by his ever-deepening love of all things beautiful.
“ I’m looking for deeper and deeper levels of beauty in my life and my work. Painting takes me towards beauty and that’s where I want to go.”
Gray is also a poet and writer and is currently working to combine poetry and fine art into a unique visual expression. His works can be viewed in person at Fine Art fairs throughout the Western United States and at his home studio/gallery in Seattle by calling 214-826-6721