Joe Ray

This sculpture is part of my Time Traveling Ancients series, which reimagines Mesoamerican deities and priestly figures as visitors to the 21st century. These ancient beings have journeyed through time to experience today’s Chicano/Latino bicultural world, they’re curious, observant, and deeply connected to their descendants. They’re here to see how we’re doing. To witness how our traditions […]

SAVE THE DATE! Opening Reception: Monday, May 19, 2025 11am with a welcome by Mayor Becky Dagget Celestial Juggler I am absolutely thrilled to have been selected to be a part of this exhibition for 2025/26 at Elizabeth “Liz” C. Archuleta County Park in Flagstaff. My Celestial Juggler will be on display until March, 2026.

COMO EL VIENTO. LIKE THE WIND. Much of my work features hearts – sometimes one, sometimes more. Corazones are the centerpiece of my art, bringing a sense of healing and spirituality to myself, my collectors, and other viewers. This is my first blog post since the end of 2020, a year marked by the pandemic,

ART DURING 2020: FULL COLOR GRATITUDE I created a lot of art during 2020. I managed to do some things that I had never done before, and I was able to collaborate and work with artists in ways that were new to me. One of these ways was putting together a collection for Helios Education Foundation’s new

THE ANCIENTS: MEXICAN BOXERS AND TIME TRAVEL I’ve done a few pieces that feature Mexican boxers. Ancient Mexican boxers. These guys are full of energy and strength. They’re skilled fighters. These boxers are Ancient Deities who enjoy boxing and the challenges that come with it. Typically, in the lighter weight divisions, they bring centuries of

XELFI TIME Ancient deities are among us in today’s world. Plus, they happen to be really good at time travelling. These Ancients enjoy their daily interactions with us mere mortals. They enjoy interacting with us, and they enjoy their devices. Ancients over-index in the use of technology, especially mobile. They were also among the first

MUSINGS FROM THE SKETCHBOOK – ONLY DEMONS THINK IN STRAIGHT LINES We sat there in wonder as it rose from the rubble and morphed into stone and feathers. It began to move, making a hissing sound as it rattled. Suddenly it looked in our direction and singled me out of the group. I tried to

RAMBLINGS FROM THE SKETCHBOOK The kid down the street used to dye his hair blue and sing songs about tequila fevered dreams. He also claimed pirates had taken his hearing. I think they took his voice as well. His older sister had always been the loud and obnoxious type. A real misanthrope with nothing positive

INNER WORKINGS I saw a couple of vampires sitting on the curb outside a Circle K the other day. One nodded and smiled at me. Across the street in the used car lot were 5 bulls grazing. I think the vampires were waiting until they got a little hungry, then they’d go over and drink