Ron Parent
oil
Born and raised in eastern Connecticut, Ron received his undergraduate degree in Art Education from Southern Connecticut State College (University) where he studied painting under Howard Fussiner. He received his graduate degree in Art Education from Central Connecticut State College (University). Ron taught art in the Vernon, Connecticut public school system for 32 years before retiring and devoting more time to his studio pursuits. He specializes in landscapes and waterscapes, primarily utilizing the medium of oils. He draws inspiration from his surrounding landscapes and travels. Ron showed his work regularly in New England until he moved to Detroit, Michigan in 2013 where he became a member of the Detroit Artist Market (DAM). He adopted a new style of work that incorporated elements of abstracting the landscape. Three of his pieces were acquired by the Kresge Foundation for their permanent collection. In 2017, he relocated to Ithaca, New York where he exhibited his work locally. A collection of 30 of his paintings were exhibited in BRIDGES, CORNELL HEIGHTS - an independent living community and later became part of the permanent collection. Ron moved to Ocean Isle Beach in 2021. He is inspired by the beautiful marshes and beaches along the North Carolina coast. They become the subject of his recent paintings. ARTIST STATEMENT My oil paintings are inspired by an exploration of landscapes, waterscapes and nature. I use digital photography to initially capture my subject matter. I then manipulate the images on the computer to achieve a desired composition and effect. Then, I start painting on the canvas with oils or work with cold wax techniques on cradled board. I blend the paint medium in a variety of ways: using soft erasers, palette knives, brushes, squeegees, and fingers to move the paint around on the surface. In some cases, pigments or paints are removed from the canvas to reveal a unique effect. In other cases, the paint is manipulated with various tools to achieve a variety of textures. I am influenced by Whistler and Turner who were masters of capturing light and atmosphere. Some of these attributes can be detected in my work.