Ray Shaw Wildlife Artist Biography

Ray Shaw was born in Afton, Wyoming in 1958 and currently resides in Colorado. His kinship with nature began at an early age and has been a prominent part of his life. Ray first picked up a brush at the age of seven. He practiced falconry from the age of fifteen and cared for wounded birds at the age of seventeen. The Air Force Academy purchased a painting of a peregrine falcon for their library collection when Ray was only eighteen years old. He joined the Navy and painted for admirals and captains of the seventh fleet. After being discharged from the armed forces, Ray painted in Old Town San Diego for tourists for five years. He then established the “Bullocks Fine Art Gallery of San Diego,” representing over sixty-five artists in the area. Additionally, Ray founded Feathers and Fabrics of California, featuring shirts printed with many of the birds he painted. In 1990, Ray studied painting in a master class taught by Robert Bateman. His piece, “Pheasants Forever’, had over 2000 reproductions.

Ray moved to Colorado in 1992, where he worked in downtown galleries in Colorado Springs for many years. He established his own gallery in Southern Colorado in 2016, and has had his art displayed in galleries in Naples Florida, Charleston South Carolina, Las Vegas Nevada, Colorado Springs Colorado, and Trinidad Colorado.

Ray has lived in many of the western states, including Utah, Idaho, Washington, and California, developing a deep appreciation for wildlife. He currently lives on a ranch in the Colorado Rockies with his dogs, cats, parrots, and a plethora of peacocks, pigeons and doves. He spends his time painting, communing with the native wildlife, and living out his passion for his art, his work, and his connection to nature.

Ray’s many accomplishments include being in the top 100 in the nation for the Arts in the Parks competition. He won the Frontier Airline’s National Painting Competition for their ten-year anniversary celebration. His paintings are prized possessions for distinguished private collectors and have toured in art museums and galleries across the United States. Additionally, Ray has been a major donor for many conservation programs.Ray’s painting The Healing, has been appraised at 70K.

Ray with Michael Martin Murphey, American singer and songwriter