" A Blue Note in the Key of C"
Ron has been busy in his studio working on several new figurative oil paintings.
This painting is one in a series of new pieces he is creating with a jazz club theme.
Posted by: Robin
"Tell me about this painting, what is taking place, what is this painting all about..."
Ron is often asked by viewers of his artwork to explain "what is taking place" or "what is this painting all about". I know that he has always been very interested to hear what his viewers think they are seeing in a painting, and he often lets them come to their own conclusions.
There is a good amount of action and energy depicted in Ron's figurative work, and each person who views his paintings has their own opinion about; what a character might be up to, what they are thinking, what action has just occurred, and what might happent next.
It is really a treat to talk to viewers of his work to hear what they think about a painting,and what feelings it creates when they view the work. It is interesting to hear what his viewers have to say as they describe how they interpret what a certain character is doing or what action they perceive as taking place. We even had one person tell us that they saw a figure of a ghost hovering over the stage in Ron's painting "Concert in Blue". Visit www.ronandersonstudio.com to see this painting. If you see a ghost, let me know : )
We recently received a request from an art enthusiast who wanted to know what was taking place in the painting "Voodoo Zoo". Sometimes Ron will give a good description of what he had in mind when he painted a piece, and sometimes he prefers not to describe in detail what the painting is all about.
With Ron's permission I am providing the information Ron gave me about "Voodoo Zoo".
Enjoy !
"Voodoo Zoo was inspired by Dante's Inferno. The oil painting represents the consequences of temptation. Figures in the scene have been lured by the "fruits" of temptation.
The setting is Hades or more specifically the gates of Hell. The figure holding the apple represents Satan. The figures around him do not realize they are in Hell.
There is a man shown with his hand out calling out to the viewer. He is the only one that realizes where he is. He knows that he is already in Hell, and he is warning the viewer that they are about to enter Hell. He realizes what has happened to him. He is trying to stop the viewer at the door so they won't cross over to the realm where he now exists. Maybe if they heed his warning they can be saved.
The woman with her hands up is being transformed into a demon with horns. Her hands are positioned to look like the shape of horns. It is too late for her to be saved. The rest of the figures have fallen into a trance, the dance is part of that trance."
Voodoo Zoo was included in the 95th Annual Spring Juried Exhibition sponsored by the Ohio Art League that took place at the Columbus Museum of Art 04/29/06-9/03/06.
Posted by: Robin
Ohio Statehouse web site
One of Ron's public art commissions involved creating two oil paintings of George Washington Williams. The artwork is on display in the George Washington Williams Memorial Room at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio.
George Washington Williams was the first African American elected to the Ohio House of representatives in 1880. Visit George Washington Williams for more information about his life and inspiring story.
The Ohio Statehouse web site offers "Virtual Tours" and Photo galleries that include Ron's paintings. Select the Multimedia link after you access their site, and you can click on the link for the "Tour" of the George Washington Williams Memorial Room.
You can use the zoom feature to get a good look at Ron's paintings. To explore a room, click and hold your mouse, then drag it in the desired direction to pan around the room. One of the two paintings is also included in the Photo Gallery.
The Ohio Statehouse web site is a wonderful resource, is designed well, and is user friendly. Stop by to take a look when you have a minute.
Here is a list of the organizations and individuals who generously sponsored the George Washington Williams Memorial Room.
Posted by: Robin
Sketches created before painting the "Murder Mystery" series of oil paintings
Ron started a series of paintings back in 2003 that we call the "Murder Mystery" series. He created numerous sketches prior to painting the series, and I have made a video clip to showcase some of that work.
I am going to put some of the "Murder Mystery" paintings on our web site soon so watch for the actual artwork.
This is a fun story about a trip to France and...well watch the video, and see for yourself !
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NT22LDs6CUY
Our oldest son flew to Europe in August for an eleven day vacation. He got a nice laugh out of viewing this video before he left, since Paris is one of the places he will spend time in addition to London and Rome : )
You can access our YouTube page at www.youtube.com/rastudio1
Posted by: Robin
Ron's paintings are included in the permanent art collection of The Supreme Court of Ohio.
One of Ron's art commissions involved creating six 4' x 8' oil paintings for The Supreme Court of Ohio. The art installation is entitled "The History of the Rule of Law".
The paintings were commissioned by the Ohio State Bar Association, and are a part of the permanent art collection of the Supreme Court of Ohio located in the Ohio Judicial Center.
Ron's artwork is on display on the 11th floor outside of the Law Library in the Law Library Gallery. All six oil paintings can be viewed on our web site at "The History of the Rule of Law"
"The African American Story", by author Joy Masoff
I have had the pleasure to work with author Joy Masoff and publisher Five Ponds Press of New York over the last few months, and am excited to share news of the inclusion of one of Ron's paintings in the hard cover scholastic book entitled "The African American Story".
Joy is a successful author and has published such popular books as:
"We are all Americans: Understanding Diversity"
"Fire!"
"Our World Near and Far"
"Chronicle of America: American Revolution, 1700-1800"
Ron was pleased to have the opportunity to share his artwork in Joy's latest scholastic book. Take a minute to visit the Five Ponds Press web site when you have time to view other books available by this author.
http://www.fivepondspress.com/AfricanAmerican/index.html
Posted by: Robin
I have been working with a publisher in New York to have panel three of Ron's "Cargo" triptych included in an upcoming hard cover Scholastic book for elementary students.
The Licensing Agreement has been signed, but I will wait to post specific details about the Author and Publisher until the book is published in 02/07.
Ron is very protective of his artwork and does not agree to license the use of his images without careful consideration. He was very pleased however, to participate in this project. Ron was honored to receive a request from the author to include his work, and looks forward to sharing his artwork with her readers.
The "Cargo" triptych was acquired in 2005 by The King Arts Complex in Columbus, Ohio. They will be recognized in the Photo Credit section of the book. The "Cargo" artwork is the centerpiece of a permanent installation entitled "Cargo: The Middle Passage" which depicts slavery aboard a Cargo ship.
"Cargo: The Middle Passage" was recognized by the Greater Columbus Arts Council in 2006, and the King Arts Complex was the recipient of the GCAC "Artistic Excellence" Award in the amount of $10,000.00. This is a wonderful interactive exhibit, and is well worth the trip. Visit The King Arts Complex web site at www.thekingartscomplex.com for more information, if you would like to experience this powerful and emotional installation.
Posted by: Robin 
"9/11-9:11-911"
After searching online for information about the events that unfolded on 9/11/01, I found it quite wonderful to find so many artists who had captured and expressed their feelings in the form of artwork in the aftermath.
A simple web search revealed a multitude of artworks which depict the events of that day. Each piece of art that I viewed is unique, and the mood and tone differ depending on how the artist wanted to portray his or her ideas.
Ron has a family member living in New York and I can recall how concerned we were for his welfare, for the welfare of his family, and for all of the people who were in the vicinity of the Towers when they were attacked.
As we watched the news coverage, it was difficult to understand how anyone could wreak so much devastation and cause so much harm.
Ron was the featured artist on The Art List web site The Art List in February 2005. He spoke about painting "9/11-9:11-911" in the interview session/article that is displayed next to his painting.
(Excerpt)
TAL: What was your inspiration for the painting entitled "9/11-9:11-911"
RA: The day of this historical event, the world was stunned by the visual impact of the news coverage. The media flashed the images of the event on the networks over and over. We saw the horror of the towers falling and a barrage of images detailing the impact.
I watched the news daily and felt helpless to change what was unfolding. When I viewed these powerful and emotional images I was compelled to respond.
Being a visual artist, I looked for a way to convey my thoughts and feelings, but in a different manner than the media coverage was presenting. The news coverage of the event was from a distance. From that distance it was hard to visualize these images as real because we were too far away to sense that these were real people dying.
The challenge for me was to present a different view of the same event. It became clear to me that I would place the viewer there on the floor inside the building with the victims. It took me a couple of years to have the courage to paint this image, because I wanted to be respectful and honor those who lost their lives. I hope I have done so.
You can find the full article at the following address: http://www.theartlist.com/aom205.html
Ron did not paint "9/11-9:11-911 until 2003. He told me that this was a very emotional piece for him to paint and he wanted to paint it with respect for those who lost their lives. He painted the work on a large scale at 108"x84" (wxh) with oil on canvas. You feel as if you are there inside the building when you view the work.
http://www.ronandersonstudio.com/images/464_911_72dpi400pixcp.jpg
I found several web sites with information about the attack on the World Trade Center, and added them to the page showing his 9/11-9:11-911 painting on our web site.
I listed several here with links for anyone interested in visiting their web pages.
DIGITAL ARCHIVE
The September 11 Digital Archive was funded by a major grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and organized by the
American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning at the City University of New York Graduate Center and the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. Visit these sites for more information.
Posted by: Robin
En Plein Air in German Village
Ron enjoys painting in German Village in Columbus, Ohio and has quite a few oil paintings of the area on our web site.
Visit http://www.ronandersonstudio.com and click on the Landscapes page to access the two German Village galleries. The paintings that we have posted in this section are oil paintings that measure 20"x16" (wxh).
Posted by: Robin
Supreme Court of Ohio Law Library, The Ohio Judicial Center
Four of Ron's Six paintings commissioned by the OSBA depicting "The Rule of Law" are featured on The Ohio Judicial Center web site. The artwork is housed on the 11th floor in the Law Library Gallery.
The second link provided here is for The Supreme Court of Ohio Law Library and provides information about "Main Art and Architectural Features" of the Law Library including Ron's paintings:
http://www.ohiojudicialcenter.gov/anderson_paintings.asp
http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/lawlibrary/introduction
Posted by: Robin
OIl Paintings
You can view nine of Ron's paintings in downtown Columbus and an additional three paintings not far from downtown. Check the web sites listed below for hours of operation and visitor's information for each location.
Visit our web site for dates for Ron's upcoming art exhibits.
Charming ambiance inspires artwork
Ron recently sold one of our favorite paintings from his German Village series. "Village Coney" was painted en plein air in German Village in June 2004. The painting measures 20"x16" (wxh) and is oil on canvas.
You might spot Ron painting in the area on the weekend over the next few weeks. A reporter from one of our local newspapers saw him painting a week ago and took a few pictures. If the photos are published in the newspaper, I will add the information to our web site.
You can visit the Village Coney in German Village at the following location:
Village Coney
418 E Whittier St
Columbus, OH 43206
Visit http://www.germanvillage.com for more information on the area
Posted by: Robin
Thursday September 22, 2005 was an important evening in the arts career of artist Ron Anderson. The King Arts Complex in Columbus, Ohio held an "unveiling" for Ron's triptych entitled "Cargo". The three panels were included in the new educational art installation "Cargo: The Middle Passage". This is an interactive permanent exhibit that gives the viewer a sense of what it might have been like inside a slave ship.
I can recall Ron painting "Cargo" in 2001 and of all of his paintings, these panels are some of the most emotional and powerful work he has created. He chose to use a dark palette with somber tones to depict the belly of the cargo ship. Each panel measures 93"x48" so you are experiencing the emotions of each figure on a large scale. You feel as if you can step into the canvas.
The evening began with Barbara Nicholson, Ph.D., Executive Director of The King Arts Complex speaking from the heart about how the artwork has affected her. We were treated to a dance performance by Creative Outlet Dance Theater of Brooklyn, New York whose Executive Director is Jamel Gaines. They performed excerpts from a dance performance about the Middle Passage. This dance company received a standing ovation and really brought the figures of Ron's paintings to life. They are extremely talented and I see only wonderful things in all of their futures as dancers.
One of the high points of the evening was the beautiful rendition of "Amazing Grace" by singer Mzuri. Her voice rang out strong and clear in the darkened theater and was truly an exceptional performance. The paintings are very powerful pieces of artwork to view. With the added bonus of having the dancers and singer Mzuri performing, it really became a wonderful experience that heightened our awareness and promoted a sense of healing and hope.
The event was well attended with what I have been told was one of the largest audiences for an event at the Complex. We had an opportunity to chat with many of Ron's Art patrons at the reception that followed. It was gratifying to see many familiar faces from the Central Ohio arts community in attendance including several local politicians.
Ron's artwork was covered in The Columbus Dispatch newspaper (9/22/05) with a very nice article by Arts Reporter Bill Eichenberger covering the installation. Ron and Barbara were featured on the local news program NBC 4 Midday report with an on-site interview.
This is a permanent installation at The King Arts Complex and it is my hope that many from our community will take the opportunity to enjoy this interactive installation. Ron spoke many times as he was painting "Cargo" of his desire to see the paintings on display at The King Arts Complex. He always wanted to see the paintings in a public space where many could enjoy the artwork and he wanted to see the work here in our community. His first choice was always to have the work become a part of the permanent collection of The King Arts Complex. This has been a long journey from Ron picking up the paintbrush in 2001 to the "unveiling" in 2005 and Ron's dream has been realized.
Posted by: Robin
Ron has worked closely with the professional staff at The King Arts Complex for many years. Over the last few years, Ron has participated in several of their juried Art Exhibitions. Barbara Nicholson, Ph.D., Executive Director has shown a sincere interest in Ron's artwork and her support is much appreciated.
The King Arts Complex has a variety of new programs for the upcoming season with exhibits, workshops, dance, theater music, and special events. One of the new permanent installations about the transfer of slaves from Africa to the Americas is entitled "Cargo:The Middle Passage". When visitors view this installation they will be able to experience what life might have been like inside of a slave ship.
The exhibit will be centered around three of Ron's paintings. Ron painted three panels included in a triptych entitled "Cargo" that measure 93"x48" (wxh) per panel. The paintings depict the interior of a slave ship and are oil paintings on canvas. These paintings are now included in the permanent art collection of The King Arts Complex.
There will be an opening-day reception on September 22, 2005 with a full evening of activities. The Columbus Dispatch newspaper offered additional information in the Arts section on 8/14/05 on Page D3. The article was written by Michael Grossberg and was titled "Cultural offerings to salute black creativity."
Posted by: Robin
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