Ray Swirsky
Ray Swirsky
Ray Swirsky is a contemporary western oil painter based in Calgary, Alberta.
He saw his first fine art oil paintings in 1980 after relocating from Kimberley BC to attend SAIT college in Calgary. That first encounter sparked something inside him and over the years he found himself drawn to galleries and art exhibitions, fuelling a desire to one day paint similar fine art works….
Ray Swirsky
Ray Swirsky is a contemporary western oil painter based in Calgary, Alberta.
He saw his first fine art oil paintings in 1980 after relocating from Kimberley BC to attend SAIT college in Calgary. That first encounter sparked something inside him and over the years he found himself drawn to galleries and art exhibitions, fuelling a desire to one day paint similar fine art works.
In 2014 he enrolled in his very first group painting lesson. At the end of 2017 Ray found himself out of a job, and decided the time was right to venture out and try to make painting a full time career.
Since becoming a full time artist, Ray has won many awards, and been juried into many major exhibitions, including the Calgary Stampede, Spruce Meadow Masters, and the Great Western Show in Montana.
It is fitting that much of Ray’s choice for subject matter is bison, mountains, prairie scenes and other large wild animals. He is Metis, and can trace his Metis heritage back across the prairies to a time when the bison roamed plentiful. When creating a painting it’s the light, contrast and colour that Ray seeks to capture in each art work.
Ray is a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, the Alberta Society of Artists, Artists for Conservation, Oil Painters of America, and a founding member of the newly formed First Nations Arts Alliance.
Ray’s work is found in numerous private and corporate collections throughout Canada, USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and South Africa.
See more of his work on his website at www.reswirsky.com