The artist that is Ron Hicks
An ode to artist
This one is called A Stolen Kiss. It’s the one you’ll probably save on your phone or pc right? It’s quite something.
The Italian Plaza. This is the very first artwork of his that I encountered. I particularly like his paintings with couples. I printed this one out and put it in my jewelry box. Anyways these are some of his paintings that I particularly like. Enjoy! All of these are copyright of Ron Hicks.
"I see things very abstractly, so I think of myself as a painter who sees shape, value, edges and texture. I like to romanticize life. I love the interaction of people doing...'things' -- whatever it is. It could be the most mundane thing to any passer-by, but I find great beauty in that" - Ron Hicks*
To say the word Romanticism is to say modern art - that is, intimacy, spirituality, color, aspiration towards the infinite, expressed by every means available to the arts.
I like my paintings to be open-ended. I like to lead you in a direction but not give you everything,” the artist says. “There’s no right or wrong way to see it.”
“Most of my paintings are about the moments that are soft and tender and quiet, so a muted palette is in line with that”
I find great liberty in using the full spectrum of colors that are less chromatic. I believe it’s a sophisticated way of seeing and using color in my paintings. The choice of color and its relationship to the visual statement I’m trying to make is very crucial. For example, If I’m painting a subject with more of a somber disposition, I feel it’s not appropriate to use colors that are too bright or colorful.
“I’m on this kick where I’ve come into acceptance that things are the way they are. I’m interested to see what that combination will look like, I’m also playing around more with color, like reds. I don’t think I will ever go with Day-Glo orange, but as with other elements, I’d really like to explore how much I can push it.”
“Sometimes as artists, we paint part of our soul, I like the beauty of relationships, even if there’s some tension there. Once you’re past entry-level thinking, you want to say something with your painting. If I was to make paintings that didn’t feed my soul, it would just be a job.”
“I like my paintings to be open-ended. I like to lead you in a direction but not give you everything. There’s no right or wrong way to see it.”
Most of my works start out very abstractly. My goal as I start a piece is to have as much variety visually that I can muster. As a matter of fact, if you were in the studio watching me paint, you would probably wonder what in the world I was painting! Slowly but surely, as time passes, the composition starts to reveal itself. I like leaving some of the initial abstract block-in brushwork showing and block in the finished painting. I like the idea of teetering on the edge of having — and then not having — control. Some call it painting intuitively. I firmly believe this is why I could not reproduce the same painting twice. As artists, we are constantly changing. Things move internally and externally. I’m always in a different space mentally and emotionally, so my responses are always different. When you are truly painting intuitively, it’s impossible to divorce yourself from that process and paint without some sort of connection.
Oh by the way, he has plans to visit Egypt and paint there! I can’t wait to see that! I have always loved ancient Egypt and I’m curious to see how he will infuse the history, culture, and aesthetics from there.
Thank you Ron Hicks. Your work is captivating.
Link to his website.