Meet Marisa Ray, artist, author & encourager!

I love interviewing artists and featuring them on LYCL. It has been waaaay too long so I'm thrilled to introduce you to Marisa Ray!

Mysterious. Playful. Inviting. Cozy.

That is how I describe Marisa Ray's work. I love her art and I think you will too; her art invokes a variety of feelings and emotions.

Marisa and I met via Deby Dearman's artist forum at 48Days.net, then we starting chatting via email and finally, we got on the phone and talked! We had a great conversation about making the first sale, the ups and downs of an artists life, and the importance of having multiple projects.  

After our conversation, I'm drawn even more to Marisa's perspective and her beautiful, other-world-feeling landscapes. I found I am not alone in how I feel about Marisa's art; a lot of us want to go do the same thing:

We want to live in her paintings.

Or, at the least, I wish I  could spend a week or two writing and working on my own art there while I wander around the forest for inspiration.

Marisa on her own art:

My paintings are not a depiction of everyday life. I am intentional about that, because my heart, along with the hearts of many others I believe, long for a permanent refuge.  I have heard countless people say (when viewing my work), “I want to live there”, or, “that’s my safe place”. One friend of mine even said, “They’re like the houses in heaven”. I think my paintings minister peace to people, and also give them a sense that there is something better we should all be striving towards.

Marisa is not only a visual artists, she writes books and illustrates them.  This girl is busy!

Additionally, she is working on incorporating digital and other modern day technology to enhance the experience of the readers who enter into her world.

My two books, A Very Kranky Christmas and Happy Birthday Mr. Bird were created to make people laugh. The animation I am working towards for the Krankies has the same goal, although the humor will be for adults as well.

Marisa has been an artist for all of her life; her journey into the world of art includes time as a singer, dancer, writer, director, song writer, author and visual artist.

Many people say it's necessary to know the big picture, where you're headed to , as a necessary way of getting somewhere.  Marissa has a different approach.

She isn't so concerned with knowing the end goal right now. When I asked Marisa if she had a big picture of where her life was headed, she said:

My big picture dream for my life and art is still greatly unfolding. I have had many dreams in my life, but a big picture one kind of eludes me. I have been an actor, director, singer/songwriter, artist and writer. I would love to see them all come together for the creation of something that shakes the world. I feel something percolating in my spirit, but what that is I don’t know yet.

I love this answer because it reflects many creatives.  We know we want to create; many of us are working towards finding our voice in our creativity, but there may not be the clarity we want (or others say we should have).

Many of us are intuitive- we feel deeply and those feelings are very much part of who we are and what we create. But feelings don't always equate to linear and carefully structured sentences and plans.  Marisa's strong view point on feelings came out in a phone conversation we had a few days after our email chat.

Marisa describes herself as an "advocate of feeling feelings," the good ones and the bad ones; it's all  part of living life, of experiencing life as a whole.

We spent some talking about rejection and the painful 'no's' every artist inevitably goes through.  This is one of the most painful parts of being an artist and trying to create a living from art. When I asked Marisa about what she does when she is going through a season of intense discouragement, she said, for herself and others:

"Just keep pushing through."

Marisa shared that the seasons come out of order; a good season now doesn't infer there will be a great season tomorrow. Hard times come;  It's important to stay busy and keep projects continuing.

Marisa has many projects currently going on. I'll let her share in her own words:

Right now I am working on finishing my second children’s book, Happy Birthday Mr. Bird. I am doing it with digital illustrations, so I am spending a lot of my time right now navigating new techniques and challenges. I’m also preparing a few paintings for the Tomato Art Fest here in Nashville, and working on the beginning stages of learning animation for characters I created called Krankies. So I work on several different things at once, until there is a deadline, and then I have to revert back to a more laser focus.

When we look at prolific people- whether artists, entrepreneurs, or other professions, they have multiple projects going at the same time.

They also know how to prioritize.  Marisa points out that although she may be working on multiple projects, a deadline helps her beam in on the most important and get that piece of art completed.

Besides being prolific, I was impressed (though not surprised) to see Marisa's focus on learning new skills. I've had a couple of conversations with creatives recently about making progress in our art and our dedication to learning new skills. One area in my art that I'm not happy with is a direct correlation to not investing the time to learning the skills. Practice is essential but if we don't have the skills down, it's hard to advance in it.

How did you sell your first piece of art?

Selling the first piece is hard, partly because of the nervous feelings that go with it.  I would also say that one of the most exciting feelings is selling a piece of art. I asked Marisa about her first sale and how it happened.

The first painting I sold was called “Secret Cottage”, and I sold it by posting it on Facebook. I had some friends see it and private message me that they wanted to buy it. I sold another painting that way as well. I have also had people contact me about commissioned work based on what they’ve seen on Facebook.

Selling is hard and to a certain point, it's unpredictable.  Artists who diversify their work give themselves the opportunity to increase their income. Marisa has both books and visual art to sell. It's important to note she started with people who already know and like her.

I'm thrilled to talk with artists who are busy creating art and sharing their joy and ideas with others.

Please thank Marisa for taking the time from her busy schedule to write and talk with me.  She has a tender heart for artists who are beginning their journey.  You can "like" her page on Facebook and send her love there or find out what she is doing on her website.

Feelings are huge in art- what kind of feelings do you try to create in your work?  When buying art, what causes you to buy? What attracts you to a painting?