Toby grew up in Wembury, a small seaside village in South Devon where the ocean became his first love. "My father, a passionate sailor and watercolour artist, unknowingly set me on my path by sharing his twin devotions to paint and sea. After graduating with a fine art degree from Cardiff in 2000, I took a few years to explore the world, searching for my place in it. The next decade found me back in Cornwall, working various jobs while always creating art on the side. It wasn't until 2016 that I finally took the leap to become a full-time painter. What began as mostly studio work with occasional coastal trips has evolved into my current practice—painting en plein air along the beautiful North Cornwall coast. I've fallen completely in love with painting outdoors. For me, it's about absorbing all the elements—the salt spray, changing light, and coastal winds—and translating those sensations onto canvas. Each painting captures a specific moment I spent in that location. The ever-changing light and tides have shaped me into a quick painter with an impressionist approach. Every seascape tells the story of my time there, a visual diary of moments spent where land meets sea." Toby Ray
