Ray Russotto is an artist based in South Florida, where he lives with his wife, Carol, an artist and former advertising agency art director. Born in Brooklyn, he moved to South Florida with his family at the age of four, and his artistic journey began early, earning pocket money in grade school by drawing humorous portraits of classmates and teachers.

After earning a B.A. in English from Florida Atlantic University, Ray spent seven years playing bass guitar in his brother’s rock band before pursuing a career as a freelance illustrator. Since then, he has created artwork for magazines, newspapers, advertising campaigns, and children’s books, served as the editorial cartoonist for the Boca Raton News, and entertained guests as a live caricature artist at countless special events, including one memorable event hosted by Tiger Woods.

In recent years, Ray has focused on watercolor painting, embracing the medium’s fluidity, spontaneity, and expressive possibilities. Working from reference photographs to start, he then allows each painting to evolve naturally, valuing improvisation over strict realism. Inspired by the idea of discovering the unexpected, Ray approaches each piece with the same spirit as a jazz musician finding joy in the creative process and the unique story each painting tells.

“Like a jazz musician searching for the ‘sound of surprise’ I’m looking for something to emerge that could not have been predetermined. Improvisation is where the joy is for me and that’s what keeps me eager to jump into the next painting.”

 

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