Ray is a self-taught artist inspired to paint after feeding the birds and squirrels in her front yard and began to embark on free bird-watching tours with Blue Ridge Audubon. Photos on birding tours and in her front yard sparked her inspiration to paint the animals around us, and soon her paintings became whimsical stories of the adventures of wild creatures. Black bears, squirrels, beavers, groundhogs, and more fill these vibrant landscapes hand-painted with acrylic on canvas, wood, and recycled materials. The name of her business Little Ray of Light Design comes from Ray’s intention to bring love and light to your soul through creations inspired by the joy of living in nature. Ray’s art is created free-handedly by intuitively using a dabbing technique with acrylic paint. Ray also learns every day about the human impact on wildlife and how important it is to protect vulnerable animal and plant populations and donates a small portion of her proceeds are donated to local wildlife centers in Western North Carolina.