Ron Kendall :: Artist

ARTIST STATEMENT::

After 50 years working in creative advertising and behind the lenses producing and directing award winning videos, Ron Kendall has retired and emerged back into the world of fine art with a vengeance. “I never really left fine art,” Kendall explains. “Most of my successful work in film and video is a direct result in my art education. I always treated the screen like a canvas.” Kendall now finds himself at the right place and the right time in his life where he is compelled to stop filming the real world and start painting the world of his imagination. “ I just reached that point in life when we question the path that we are on. I have always wanted to paint so I just simply decided to start seriously painting.”

His latest creations showcase the struggle he has faced over five decades to resist his painting impulses. Each artwork serves as a captivating exploration of a world populated by surreal, creature-like figures and events. It's often ambiguous whether these figures are striving to reach the light or are tragically descending into shadow. Kendall admits, "My paintings unsettle many, but they sometimes unsettle me even more. When I begin I can't fully grasp their meaning or the identities of the figures, yet once I finish everything feels strangely familiar. Since I began painting, every canvas transforms into a crucial scene in an unending film."

Kendall began his art early in life. His experiences growing up in a military family took him to many places in Asia, Europe and the United States. Each move brought new landscapes full of fresh mysteries and strange adventures. It was during this time that Kendall took to sketching but he did not center on the world around him. All of his sketches reflected the secret world of mystery that he always brought with him to these new locations.

In the early 1970s, Kendall enrolled at the University of California, Davis, where his artistic endeavors attracted the notice of Wayne Thiebaud. During his time on campus, he also studied under William Wiley and Roy Deforest. Kendall reflected on his experience, stating, “I learned an important lesson from these mentors. They exemplified dedicated artists who committed their lives to their craft, inspiring me to pursue art, though I, like many others, wasn't fully prepared or able to make that complete commitment.”

Kendall has been painting in his free time since college, but those moments were rare. His earlier works were meticulously planned and revised over extended periods before he considered them complete. Now, he is creating a surge of pieces that showcase a more fluid and direct approach. His art has become more spontaneous and abundant as he embraced the urge to think less and paint more. “I’m not sure where this 50 year journey is leading me, but my art feels like it has its own energy,” Kendall shared. “In my commercial projects, I was always fixated on every detail and pixel. Now, the weight of judgment has lifted- my paintings, allowing me to freely pursue the path I’ve always desired.