Biography
Ron was born on the island of Kauai. Although his family moved to the mainland (Southern California) when he was a boy, they maintained very strong ties with the islands. They spent parts of each summer on Kauai, visiting family and doing what island kids do. He was always enthralled by the way each wave was different than the last and he was always amazed to see that the reality of the ocean could be captured, so realistically, by local artists.
This idea remained in his head for many years as he plodded his way through a career in sales and then with his own publishing and distribution business. His first attempt at painting came in 1989 when he was introduced to the art of Historical Miniatures. His work soon became very much in demand by collectors and he progressed up the ladder to Master Status at several show venues across the United States. His work was published in Brassey's (British Publisher) Master Class Book Series titled Master Modellers, by Robin Smith. His success in the Historical Figure world led to his decision to leave his lucrative sales position and venture into publishing, publishing the only U.S. magazine totally dedicated to the art of Historical Figures. Though he has recently sold the business and retired, the magazine continues to be published and is distributed around the world. The name of the magazine is Historical Miniature.
When Ron sold his business and retired in 2007, he thought it might be time to try his hand at painting on canvas. Ron has no formal art training and has dicovered what works and what doesn't by trial and error. He has attended some local workshops and has read several books. He spends a lot of time just watching the waves break and trying to make mental notes of the way they crest, fall and run out. At first, he painted from photos and reference material, but recently, it has just been from out of his head.
I have known Ron for nearly fifteen years, having met him at a local Historical Miniature Society meeting. We became immediate friends and I have encouraged him on his path to create something special with his God given talent. I know that you will enjoy his work as I do and maybe it will bring back memories of a trip you once had to a tropical paradise.
Peter Ferk - Emmy Award Winner - Animation