Florida Artists Group

Ronald's Bio:

I have always loved making things and working with my hands. My father was a cabinet maker and his woodshop was my playground as a child.  He taught me a dedication to craftsmanship and a respect for tools and materials.

Travels in Europe brought a heightened appreciation for art and craftsmanship and a determination to return to the U.S. and to create something new and fresh. Living in Houston, Texas during the 1970’s was like living in a boomtown and it was a garden of opportunity. Being “discovered” by a well to do patron was truly a blessing, one which provided me with the financial safety net that all artists dream of and nurturing of my creative skills and ambitions.

The 1980’s brought a move to the coast of Maine. While life in the slow lane had less to offer financially, the beauty of New England, being chosen to create several Percent for Art commissions and my participation in several exhibitions throughout New England continued to fuel my spirit and inspire my creativity.

Then in 1989 everything changed. The financial responsibilities of raising a family required me to get “a real job” and I stopped creating my work completely. Like Rip Van Winkle I took a long nap. When I awoke from this hibernation it was 2007 and living in St. Augustine, Florida. My passion for creating, growing as an artist and exploring new horizons has begun anew… and like Frank Lloyd Wright I’m eager to prove… you’re never too old to start again.

Artist’s Statement:

My work is a marriage between the conceptual images that I hope will nourish the imagination and the inherent tactile, organic attraction of wood, stone and other natural materials. Throughout my creative process there is a continuing dialogue between the materials and the design as well as a commitment to enduring craftsmanship. The process results in a fluid vocabulary or a language of materials.  The finished work offers the viewer my visual message, constructed from layers of warm, appealing materials and subtle details.

I often use a variety of materials: metal, stone, plastic, light, digital imagery – but wood is almost always at the core. Which palette of woods to use, grain direction and figure, subtle changes in natural coloration, decisions on relief relationships, overlays or inlays, contrasts in texture and color, subtle or dramatic detailing… these are just some of the decisions that take place in my creative process.

It is through these sensitive conversations that each piece is born. The closer you look, the more you will hear that language of materials.

Awards: 

2013                     “Fonchen Lord Memorial Award – 63rd Annual Exhibition”
                              Annual  Juried Exhibition & Symposium of the Florida Artists Group
                              at The Lemoyne Center for the Visual Arts, Tallahassee, FL
                              Juried by artist Jaune (Quick-to-See) Smith
2008                    “First Place Award – Collage & Mixed Media Show”
                             Juried exhibition sponsored by the St. Augustine Art Association
                             St. Augustine Art Association Gallery, St. Augustine, FL
                             Juried by sculptor Louise Lieber
1986                    “The Brookstone Award for Excellence in Woodworking”
                             Annual Juried Exhibition of League of New Hampshire Craftsmen
                             Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, NH
                             Juried by Lloyd Herman, Director of the Renwick Gallery
                             Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 
1983                    “First Place Award – Sculpture & Fiber Exhibition”
                             Juried exhibition sponsored by the Art League of Houston
                             Art League of Houston Gallery, Houston, TX
                             Juried by sculptor Ben Woitena

Grants:

 

1988                     National Endowment For The Arts – Papoutsy Art Ventures Fund
                              To create two “Quilt Constructions” wood relief wall sculptures for the
                              Town of Eliot, Maine. Part of the process included an Artist in Residence
                              workshop in the elementary school to involve the children in the conceptual
                              portion of the project.

                              Maine Arts Commission – Percent for Art Grants
                              To purchase wood relief wall sculpture “Aeropittura 103” to be installed in
                              the University of Maine Library, Augusta, ME
                              To create a wood relief wall sculpture to be installed in the Turner Elementary
                              School, Turner, ME
                              To create a wood relief wall sculpture to be installed in the Fort Street Elementary
                              School, Mars Hill, ME

1987                     Maine Arts Commission – Percent for Art Grants
                              To purchase wood relief wall sculpture “Bounce” to be installed  in the Brookton
                               Elementary School, Brookton, ME

Selected Exhibitions:

2011-2012           “Small Objects”  Invitational exhibition sponsored by
                              The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
 2010                    “Imagination Squared!… a creative response experiment”
                              The Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville, FL
2007-2009          St. Augustine Art Association, St. Augustine, FL
                              Juried exhibitions including: “Honors Show”, “Tactile Art Show”,
                              “Black & White Show”, “Cutting Edge Show”
1988                     “Makers’ 88 – A Biennial Exhibition of Maine Crafts”
                              Juried exhibition sponsored by the Maine Crafts Association and
                              the Portland School of Art, Portland, ME
                              The Baxter Gallery - Portland School of Art, Portland, ME
                              Juried by Carolyn Kreigman, Daniel Rhodes and Warren Zelig
                              “Maine Designer Crafts”, Juried exhibition sponsored by
                              the Maine Crafts Association
                              Hebron Academy Gallery, Hebron, ME
                              Juried by Howard Evans, Carolyn Hecker, Jo Diggs and Ed Twilley
1987                      “Build Boston ‘87” - Invitational exhibition sponsored by the Boston Society of
                              Architects showcasing League of New Hampshire Craftsmen
                              “Living With Crafts” award winners - World Trade Center, Boston, MA
1986                     “Contemporary Classics II”
                               Invitational exhibition sponsored by the Boston Society of
                              Arts and Crafts, Boston Society of Arts & Crafts Gallery, Boston, MA
1985                     “Language of Materials”
                              Invitational exhibition sponsored by the Portland School of Art,
                              Portland, ME
                              The Baxter Gallery - Portland School of Art, Portland, ME
1982                    “37 Hour Show”
                               Invitational exhibition sponsored by the Alfred C. Glassell
                               School of Art, Museum of Fine Art, Houston, TX
                               Museum of Fine Art, Houston, TX
1979                      “Wood in Art”
                               Invitational exhibition sponsored by the Museum of Fine Art Houston, TX

                             

 

Public & Corporate Collections:

1988                    University of Maine – Augusta, ME
                             Eliot Town Hall – Eliot, ME
                             Turner Elementary School – Turner, ME
                             Fort Street Elementary School – Mars Hill, ME

1987                    Brookton Elementary School – Brookton, ME
                             Mt. Vernon Elementary School – Mt. Vernon, ME

 1986                   First Capitol Bank – Concord, NH

1984                    City of Portsmouth – Portsmouth, NH
                             Steenbeke & Sons – Concord, NH

1983                    Forney Oil Company – Houston, TX
                             Woodway National Bank – Houston, TX

1982                    Young, Cook, Pfeifer and Hampton – Houston, TX
                             Security Pacific Bank – Houston, TX
                             Life Forms – The Woodlands, TX 

1981                    Arendale, Young and Associates – Houston, TX
                             The Lyric Center – Houston, TX

1980                   Mitchell Energy & Development Corporation – The Woodlands, TX
                             Brookhollow National Bank – Houston, TX
                             Ramada Inn - Northwest Crossing – Houston, TX
                             Ponderosa Elementary School – Spring, TX
                             Sam Houston Memorial Hospital – Spring Branch, TX
                             The Woodlands Development Corporation – The Woodlands, TX
                             The Wentletrap Restaurant – Galveston, TX

Publications 
1986                   American Craft Magazine The American Craft Council,
                              New York, NY – December

1979                   Doors ~ Houston Artists Brooke Publishing Company,
                           Houston, TX – 1979

1977-1983        Fine Woodworking Design Books I – II – III  The Taunton Press,
                           Newtown, CT – 1977, 1979, 1983 

Education:

Self taught