Inspired by Landscape, driven by spirit, Ron DuHamel creates his art from life capturing encounters. His visions come from the underside of his personal garden, to the high mountains, out to the desert plains, back to his passion for life and his faith.
Raised in the California Foothills, Ron spent his youth exploring the coastal foothills on long trails rides and inspiring hikes with his family and friends. He lived on the edge of the wilderness surrounded by open pastures, oak trees and Poison Oak groves. Through his youthful explorations Ron found a love for nature and a passion for the landscape.
Ron’s college education began at University of Pacific on an athletic scholarship and studying Art. After a physical injury, Ron left the Central Valley of California to explore the Southwest and attended the University of Arizona in Fine Arts program. At U of A, Ron was greatly inspired by a remarkable staff of professors and Sonoran Desert. Ron’s most influential studies came under the guidance of Professor Bruce McGrew, a brilliant water colorist who taught Ron the principles of creating light and depth through color. Ron’s favorite artist at the time included Jim Wade, Paul Jenkins and Jackson Pollock. With the inspiration of these artist and his professors, Ron’s discovered various painting styles, released himself from formality and explored various mediums and applications. Painting became energizing, meaningful and fun.
Upon completion of his Fine Arts Degree, Ron left the desert and went to the Pacific Northwest to attend the University of Oregon in the Landscape Architecture program. Ron's vision was to combine his passion for landscape with art taking people through space with form, texture and color. He was successful at designing in school and found a passion for earthwork art where artist create sculpture in landforms. Ron continued to paint in Eugene and was fascinated with the Northwest forest and seasonal weather. (See Fall in Eugene for one example). Also at this time, Ron met the love of his life and wife Patty. He captured this love through a painting he calls “Blue Eye Liner Magenta Shade”. The painting is highlighted by brilliant colors illustrating his passionate love for her and his fascination with her beautiful eyes. Ron brings out a bit of lustful energy in this work as he throws his favorite jeans on the canvas to express his passion.
After graduating from U of O and marring Patty, Ron and family went back down to the southwest to explore the high desert of New Mexico and study Architecture. His reuniting with the southwest brought a magnitude of inspiration. Ron was energized by the culture, inspiring light, open plains, mountains and desert storms. One of his favorite moving settings is what Ron calls “the sea of land”. From his home in the hills of Placitas at the base of the Sandia Mountains, Ron would watch summer monsoon storms roll over the plains that would break out in lightning showers with multiple colors streaking across the sky. (See Painting New Mexico Storm) Ron grew very fond of the southwest landscape, the culture, the food, and remains inspired by the light and color of the Southwest.
Now living in Rescue California, he finds himself exploring the Sierra Mountains in the American River Canyon, the Desolation Wilderness, and the Lakes Basin area. These remote areas are covered with beautiful rock formations, pristine lakes and beautiful mountain peaks. He finds himself inspired by the unexpected and he looks for passages that capture the energy and simplicity of nature.
In a new light, Ron has found a passion to paint about his faith in Jesus Christ. He brings energy and emotion to these paintings and holds nothing back in expressing his love for Christ and preaching the gospel. Inspired by Scripture but linked to life, Ron is finding an amazing platform for painting. With religion being such a protected topic in today’s society, Ron feels blessed to express his passion in such a dynamic way. His work “Be filled with Spirit- not drunk on wine”, is based on his oldest daughter’s experiences in College. As challenges for kids and adults seem all the greater to indulge in alcohol and drugs, Ron found inspiration through nature and scripture to paint about this topic.
In all of Ron’s paintings, one characteristic you will find is each piece is unique. He finds new energy for each painting and he will not compromise this energy to produce multiple pieces. His paintings are fresh and filled with life. He enjoys using elements of rhythmical forms or broad strokes of color created through graceful arm movements with energized flares of emotion. He will also draw on his sculptural talents to create the under layer of painting compositions. Be prepared to find multiple layers of color and paint in his works as Ron will often let a vision grow and change as the painting takes on a life of its own.
From a distant calling Ron remembers “Bruce McGrews” guiding words “Ron you are a painter!” Today Ron continues to paint. He finds there is no art form more pure than painting to expresses his passion for life.
