RON KEYES
. . . Continued from front page.
Since 1960 Ron has been leaving his mark on the art world through art instruction. Ron’s credits also include the famous John F. Kennedy Memorial Portrait, which was painted immediately following Kennedy's assassination. The portrait was selected for reproduction internationally, and has been exhibited in the Library of Congress, two Democratic Conventions, and also throughout the country as a notable attraction in various public-gathering places. It was donated to the permanent collection of the South Florida Community College; and is still requested as a publicity attraction.
In 1972 Ron moved his school and family to Tucson, Arizona. Summers were spent teaching, giving seminars, and demonstrating his techniques publicly across the country, including Hawaii and in colleges, and in such places as Obregon, Mexico. Ron has had his work in the Artalisa Gallery in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and the Trails West Gallery in Laguna Beach, California — all the while continuing to expand his audience of art appreciators. During his teaching in Colorado, he was demonstrating a new alkyd oil paint for Winsor Newton, (a well-known manufacturer and supplier of art supplies). A favorite medium of the artist, alkyd is a resin-based oil paint that sets in one hour and dries in about 18 hours. For working on location, Ron says it is excellent for transporting.
As a champion of the amateur artist, Ron is noted for being the Art Director of Pima County Art Fair for eight years in Pima County, Arizona. Through his direction, the show grew from 250 entries to 1,240 during his last year of the show. Here he came to know Ted DeGrazia, one of the Southwest's foremost artists. He also founded three art associations that were aimed at promoting the beginner as well as the professional artist. He has been asked, occasionally, to judge shows and has had the opportunity to judge the recent prestigious Arizona State Fair.
In 1998, Sebring, Florida and its small town charm called to Ron and his wife, Lori, so they decided to move there and invest in Sebring and Highlands County with the Main Circle Gallery and School of Art, which is located on the Historic Circle in Sebring.
Needing to be where the work is, after about a year, while en route back to Tucson, Ron decided to open the Ron Keyes School of Art and the Keystone Art Gallery in Boerne, Texas. They returned to Tucson in late 2001, and then returned to Boerne in 2005.
CONTINUE . . .
1 2 3
