Meet Marty Ray | Artist, Professor Emerita of Art

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marty Ray and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marty, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
From my earliest memories I was an artist. I liked to draw on anything near me if I had a crayon or pencil. Walls, books, paper, old envelopes were early drawing surfaces. I was fortunate to have a mother and father who encouraged my art; my mother was an untrained artist and I learned a lot from her. I painted paint-by-number paintings on the dining room table with her. I learned to mix paint and use a brush and noticed the work of other artists. Mama showed my sister and I how to make paper dolls and clothes for them. When I was 8 yrs old, I organized art activities with neighbor kids, including coloring book contests. I copied favorite cartoon characters and always took art class in school. In high school, I was awarded classes at the Dallas Museum of Art (in Fair Park) to study with painter, Chapman Kelley. He encouraged me to go to college to study art. All of my art teachers were my favorite teachers. With so much positive support from family and teachers. In College, I was encouraged again and advised to get a teaching certificate so I would have a way to make money. It turns out, I was a born teacher and artist combined. That combination has been my life thru 50+ years of teaching while also maintaining my studio practice.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I like to draw! I like to paint and make pots with clay! Over time I have focused on mixing all these elements together, often telling stories thru line, shape and color on a pottery form. I create pottery using wheel-thrown forms, sometimes joining several together with playful proportions. I incise lines into leatherhard clay on the belly, shoulders and neck of the pot. The imagery comes from memories and observations. Ideas are gathered from sketchbooks and past work, personal photographs and a big collection of art books. When I begin a clay drawing, I sometimes incise lines thru dark slip to the white clay below. This is the scraffito method. Other times, I paint the incised clay drawing with multicolor underglazes and glaze. I’m rarely at a loss for imagery, taking ideas from city scenes and figures in art classes and art exhibitions. All this is combined and abstracted into a moving design that runs around, up and down the pottery form. 
I create my work for fun and pleasure. Hopefully my pottery carries hints of a memory, a place or a time that others may connect with. When the work brings any bit of joy, I feel I’ve met my goals as an artist.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would travel all over Dallas. I would take them downtown in the evening to see the unbelievable city lights. As a Dallas native I’ve seen my city explode with art everywhere. I would ride DART to some of the stations and get out to see the art at each station. I designed the art at the new Hidden Ridge Station in Irving, one stop from North Lake College on the Orange Line. We would eat at one of the oldest Tex Mex Restaurants in Dallas, El Fenix near the Ross Perot Museum. I would take time to walk all over Clyde Warren Park and cross the street to visit the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center. I would drive across the bridge to Oak Cliff, ride down Jefferson Blvd and stop to visit the South Dallas Cultural Center. Next, a stop at the Zoo would be great. I would not miss taking friends to see our beautiful White Rock Lake (near my home) and the historic Bath House Cultural Center. I would see a theater production there and the current art exhibit. Then we would drive around the lake and see picnics, fishermen and sailboats. I would spend time walking downtown on Commerce, Main and Elm in Deep Ellum, visit small shops and eat somewhere along the way. In North Dallas we would stroll thru North Park to see all the fantastic art. And further north, we would visit the Goldmark Cultural Center, see exhibits and my small studio there. WOW, we would have to take a break and go to a movie and then go for pizza at the Egyptian Lounge on Mockingbird. Oh, and a visit to galleries in the Design District including Craighead Green Gallery where I have work. That would be the main places to visit, but there is much more. MY Dallas has grown to be an amazing place to visit for culture, art and relaxation; and to watch people of every type along the way.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mother deserves the primary recognition for encouraging and inspiring me to make art a way of life. And then, I have many teachers high on the list of importance beginning in elementary school. I took art for 12 years straight in the Dallas public schools. Every art teacher was outstanding. In college, Mr. Chas McGough and Dr. Paul Kelpe were my favorite mentors. After college graduation, teaching in DISD, my co-teachers and participation in art education forums were very beneficial. For one year, I taught for the Dept of Defense in Tokyo, Japan. In Japan, a new love for the art of eastern cultures was sparked along with a beginning interest in pottery. When I returned to the states, I took adult classes to experience work with clay sculpture and pottery; especially important was my time with sculptor Octavio Medellin and potter Michael Obranovich. Both led to my love for ceramics. Clay took over my interest and I went back to school and received an MFA in Ceramics. Luckily, with MFA in hand, North Lake College had just opened and I began teaching ceramics and sculpture. I taught at North Lake College, in charge of Ceramics and Sculpture area, for 40 years. All thru my career I have balanced working as an artist side by side with my teaching.

Website: www.martyray.com

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