About Ray DeBaun

I've always had an affinity and love of art. I found that I liked to print and draw - especially with tools - T-squares, compasses, triangles and such. I liked calligraphy. Then I got hold of a book of the art of Salvadore Dali and found that art was more than just representation - you could invent and invent wildly. After various jobs which included the construction trades and house renovation I finally got my BFA from the University of Tennessee. During that time I apprenticed to the sculptor Joe Falsetti and built stage sets for the Clarence Brown Theater. This enhanced my ability to see I three dimensions. After graduation I moved to the Santa Fe - Taos area of New Mexico and got involved in the extensive art scene there. I started designing and building furniture and was lucky enough to be represented by galleries in both places and elsewhere. After moving to Oregon I set up another shop and started to get away from furniture forms and more into sculpture. My influences include Roger Dean, a rock album artist, Frank Lloyd Wright, Japanese art, and the art deco movement. My philosophy of art is also one of life - have fun, enjoy what you do. Art is something I'd do on the weekends if I had to work for a living. It's hard to take days off.