Works By Rayford

Not a creative practitioner to solely concentrate his efforts on the most obvious of popular destinations, Rayford is just as likely to graphically connect with a Robin Hood’s Bay, Staithes or Whitby vista as he is a Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral or a more familiar (and native to him) York Minster panorama.

York-dwelling Rayford was actually born on the t’other side of the English north, namely in Standish, Wigan back in 1978, yet his family upped sticks and moved across the country from west to east whilst their future professional artist son was still a mere nipper. And it’s from this neck of the North Yorkshire woods (towns, coves, harbours and fishing villages) that Rayford seeks out much of his inspiration as he regularly casts his graphically-encompassing net as far afield as the Fossil Coast itself. And there’s not many people in the region who aren’t visibly aware of Rayford’s artistic credentials, including the local lords and ladies it would seem. Indeed, whilst studying for a degree in Industrial Design at university, Rayford spent large chunks of his student spare time crafting pencil drawings. Sketches which were so good he quickly built a reputation in the area which resulted in commissioned work coming pouring in.

Helping to alleviate the financial strains of student days, Rayford’s financial cause was significantly helped by the local gentry in the shape of the Hon. Simon Howard of Castle Howard fame (and ownership), which is located in North Yorkshire. And a place some people might recall was the setting for one of television’s most successful series’, Brideshead Revisited’. Despite managing to sell one of his early pieces to the Howards, Rayford took a while longer before reaching the heights of the creative big time, and spent the years immediately after graduating as a 3d designer. However he made it his business to continue to create pencil drawings, both as a commission-based side line and for his own pleasure/burgeoning portfolio as and when time allowed. Having taught himself the rudiments of fine artistry, now-celebrated contemporary practitioner Rayford soon developed an interest in dabbling in a variety of hues and saturations, as something of a departure from his hitherto monochrome ventures in canvas; keen to see where it would take him next in his self-education.

Eventually trying to juggle the responsibilities of a demanding full-time career with his more indulgent artistic sensibilities became too much, and Rayford arrived at the conclusion that something had to give as he stretched himself out of shape. So in 2010 the up-and-coming artist made the decision to launch himself as a professional and commit the necessary time required to evolve his fledgling style and to develop his promising ability in the realm of his chosen subject matter and preferred genre. Fast forward some 6 years down the line and today Rayford’s default style setting is one which draws on fun times and a warmth and personality which reaches out and grabs the viewer. What’s more Rayford’s star continue in the ascendency, testified by a number of features focusing on his life and visual times appearing in a raft of publications since he turned pro. If you’re in the market for a compositional piece which embraces stunning landscapes and harnesses within an eclectic fusion of traditional, historical and modern architectural nuances (and is bereft of the distractions of the populace), then Rayford is your man.