Ray Johnstone is an artist and writer. He was born in South Africa in 1943 and educated at Parktown Boys’ High School and the Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg. Ray graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts, majoring in painting, drawing and sculpture. He then participated in several group exhibitions in Johannesburg, including two at the prestigious Total Gallery.
One of his large nudes on show at a Pretoria exhibition created a controversy when a screen had to be erected around the painting to prevent it being seen by the then South African Prime Minister John Vorster.
Ray and his family emigrated to Australia in 1980 where he had seven solo exhibitions in Melbourne. In 1997 he won the Applied Chemicals International Acquisitive Prize for a watercolour of a Victorian factory. Australian radio personalities Terry Lane and Doug Aiton both have portraits done by Ray and his works are held by private collectors in France, Hong Kong, Holland, the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Ray and his wife Lynne now live permanently at La Petite Galerie in a medieval village in southwest France where he exhibits regularly at the Mézin Tourist Office.
Ray and Lynne operate an art gallery, a gite (self catering holiday accommodation) and fully inclusive, live-in painting holidays.