Eugene Ray Sr., born in Lawrence, Kansas in 1951, is the youngest of three boys. His natural interest in art developed when he was in the third grade, from an interest in wildlife and the outdoors, when his family moved to Colorado in 1960.

When he started junior high, he took a correspondence course, Northwestern School of Taxidermy. He learned how to combine his art and interest in wildlife to do something he truly enjoyed. He met a neighborhood taxidermist, who offered to teach him the basics of taxidermy, enabling him to start a career in taxidermy.

After meeting and marrying his wife Cheryl, Eugene greatly improved his taxidermy skills while at the same time working miscellaneous jobs to support his family.

Working long hours, he felt his dream slipping away. He then turned to earning a living full time with his artistic abilities. Jonas Brothers Taxidermy had an opening for a taxidermist, so he submitted photos of his independent work. They like the work and hired him. For four years he worked for Jonas Brothers as a full-time taxidermist.

In 1981, wanting more artistic freedom, he decided to try it on his own. He has traveled to Alaska, Canada, Newfoundland, and various areas throughout the United States on research photo excursions. During the years of operating his own business, he has won several awards for his outstanding work as a taxidermist, including Award of Excellence and Best of Category. This work naturally flowed into sculpting the animals he knows so well. His work has been accepted at several art shows and can be seen at a number of art galleries.