Today we’d like to introduce you to Ray Gatica.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ray. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started by taking art classes at local college in Phoenix, AZ, studying art, life drawing, graphics and design and airbrushing. I started by freelancing with a local sign company that took interest in my airbrushing skills and had me airbrush paint signs and graphics for them.
Then I moved to Waterbury, Ct., where I used me airbrush skills to do airbrush touch-ups on photos, art, for photographers and printing companies. Then one time a cosmetic company, I Natural Cosmetics, heard about my airbrushing skills and asked me do an airbrush demonstration on fingernails at their salon. It was during this demo the local TV news came and did a brief feature while I was painting ladies’ fingernails. After the news appeared on the local television stations I started getting calls to paint airbrushed murals at hair salons, restaurants, night clubs, and other businesses, etc. Most of these works were painted in an art-deco style which the clients wanted.
Since then it has been over thirty years of doing murals and wall graphics works for private and commercial clients.
Semina DeLaurentis, Executive Director of the Waterbury Arts Council, once wrote on my behalf that – ‘I made my art work for me.’ I therefore coined a term to apply to myself and I consider myself an “Artpreneur”. This is a person with the artistic, creative skills with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Some of our projects included painting large graphics for the TEXANS, SPCA.
My experience includes working with architect and interior designer firms and have subcontracted with commercial painting companies on some these projects.
I have a website devoted to the murals and large graphics: www.MuralsandBigArt.com.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has been smooth, but like any business, artist will tell you that due to the computer the commercial artist’s work/life has become more challenging because our artistic skills keep getting phased out by technology.
For example: When I was photo-retouching with the airbrush in the early 80s, and, computers came along with PhotoShop and turned photo retouching digital the airbrush photo retouching industry started to cease as we knew it.
And when I was doing the murals and graphics the large format computer industry came along and put a dent into that business too. All along over the years, it seems that the demand for artist and painters has been is a steady decline.
It seems like I was barely keeping ahead of the computer revolution but, it always caught up and put a dent into my business.
Other than that, it has been a fun life creating for other folks. The key is to treat your art like a business. Like Andy Warhol once said: “Making art is good, and making money with your art is good business”.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The best way to describe us – we are an “a-typical” art and creative service business.
Because of my thirty-five years airbrush experience, I have been called to do custom airbrush art on motorcycles, and automobiles. And because of my experience with painting large architectural graphics and murals, there have been times when are literally painting a small intricately detailed airbrush work at the same time I am painting large murals. This means that in a situation like this I go from working on a 4 square inch scale – to painting a large 10,000 square foot mural project.
I mostly specialize in, art airbrushing, custom murals and large architectural graphics.
One of the projects I have been mostly proud of was airbrushing a mural in an art deco style, incorporating 17 Ft. and building in the background in a private home and one in a restaurant in Hartford Connecticut This is one of the images.
A couple of big projects I am also proud of is hand-painting the TEXANS’ logo along with about 10,000 square ft. of interior design graphics at Reliant Stadium, now NRG Stadium.
What were you like growing up?
Since I can remember, I have been a curious, wide-eyed, inquisitive kid. It seems like I was always creating in some shape, form or another, always building or constructing within my means. Also, have been curious about how things work and taking them apart and putting them back together again.
Started drawing by placing images up against a window and trace over them to draw them, this was around the age of 6.
Pricing:
- $25.00 square Ft. no higher than an 8Ft. wall
Contact Info:
- Address: 15627 Old Humble Rd. Humble, TX 77396
- Website: www.MuralsAndBigArt.com
- Phone: 281-441-9714
- Email: Ray@GaticaArt.com
- Facebook: Gatica art
- Other: www.GaticaArt.com; AirbrushMagic.net
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
