Meet the Teacher: Ray Gonzalez
Ray Gonzalez is a professional printmaker whose works have shown in group shows across the Bay Area and San Francisco over the last year in galleries like ACCI in Berkeley and SFWA Gallery and Hunt & Gather in San Francisco. They are an ArtSpan artist and outreach committee member, and a recent recipient of honorable mentions for LGBTQ+ artists from the John Sheridan Art Prize 2024. With an arts education from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Gonzalez learned about design and color theory through their background in theatrical productions.
The art of storytelling is still very present in their work, though now mostly carved into a block of linoleum. On the art of Lino printing they state,
“I feel like Lino printing is a satisfying dance between the embrace of positive and negative space. However, life doesn’t exist only in the positive and negative, the spaces in between is where the beauty lies. How we choose to manipulate that space guides how we choose for our work to be seen.”
We interviewed Ray leading up to their workshop at ARCH: Sharpen Up on Lino, coming up on this Saturday, April 19.
Click here to sign up for Ray's class!
Can you tell us a bit about how you got started on your creative path and how you became the artist and instructor?
I have always been a creative, an artist of some sort or another. I’ve worked in professional theatre for 15 years, while visual arts have always been a hobby. In 2019 my partner suggested we try creating linoprints for a date night - I had no idea what a Lino was! Suddenly the use of positive and negative space, the ease of carving out the light and leaving behind the shadows, something clicked and I made art like I never had before. I was hooked!
In 2021, I had an accident and physically could no longer garden or coach at the capacity I had been. Stuck inside, I turned back to my art. I have always seen Mother Nature as the greatest artist, with the rest of us mimicking her. So that’s what I did. I put her beauty into my art, I decided to show the world with my work that there is an undeniable relationship between us and all that nature provides.
I host workshops and teach classes because I want to show folks the thing that seemed scary in their mind, or that had gotten built up to be this feat too large to achieve, was actually quite intuitive, had many different paths to accomplishing the same goal, and that having fun with it was the most important part of learning.
What can you tell us about your work? What do you enjoy making, what materials do you use and enjoy the most, and what is your process like? Specifically, why are you drawn to lino printing?
I’m drawn to the stark contrast of positive and negative space created by the relief print process, for me it reflects the balance of life on earth. You are literally carving out the negative and exposing the positive, it’s very metaphysical.
I use my prints to create all kinds of things: shirts, cards, stickers, fine art prints, I’m attracted to the versatility and endless possibilities.
My favorite materials for at home printing are definitely Speedball products which I can find easily at ARCH! I’ve had my same Speedball rollers, carving handle, and barren since I started 5 years ago.
I will say that my favorite thing about Lino is that you can get super fancy with mounts and presses, or keep it simple; carve an eraser and print it with a stamp pad. I want to show more people how accessible it can be.
What can students expect from the class? What are your goals as you are preparing for it?
Students can expect a low stakes environment that encourages play. We will have fun, try our best and enjoy what we learn along the way. Linoleum is a process based art and there is joy, curiosity, and exploration in each step.
As I prepare for the class, my goal is to create a space that is beneficial to folks of varied experience with linoleum. I believe my workshop can benefit beginners as well as folks who have been working with relief for some time.
Can you share some of your favorite artists, favorite works of art, and/or what are some of your favorite styles of art that inspire you?
I love the work of Ana Mendieta, I strongly relate to her work thematically, and as a Cuban-American artist. The concepts she explored of the human body returning to the earth, and a connection to home through the natural world are very present in my work.
Stylistically, I cannot deny that I am HEAVILY influenced by the work of “the grandad of goth” Edward Gorey. His etchings create whimsical depictions of death and other ailments in life. I would say my signature “etched” backgrounds are an ode to Gorey’s work.
Have any future art/career goals, teaching goals, or other creative aspirations that you'd like to share or are excited about?
I hope to keep teaching more classes on the lino process! I find it to be a very satisfying and therapeutic process that has helped me through a lot and being able to share that outside throughout the arts community has been great.
I’d say my biggest art goal is to combine my theatrical background and my new fine art practice and create a life size pop-up story book about the cycles of life and our natural native resources, to encourage folks in urban spaces with limited access to become curious about what is out there. But that’s big dreaming!
Any advice for young artists or folks looking to get more creative?
Just make art! The greatest advice I’ve been given over and over is to “do one thing that feels like it’s a part of your art every day”. Some days I run a whole print edition, some days I spend 5 minutes in a sketchbook, but everyday I try to do something. Unless I need to rest, it’s always okay to need to rest.