RON PERKINS: A LIFE OF ART

By Penny A Parrish

The first thing I noticed about Ron Perkins is his enthusiasm and energy.  He’s a tall man, with wide gestures and a big smile when he talks about his art.  And his art is CERTAINLY worth talking about!

Ron is 88 years old (or young), and art has been part of his life since childhood.  In high school, he admits to being a pretty bad student – except in art.  His teacher recognized his talent and helped Ron send off a portfolio to the Walt Disney Company. He was accepted as an illustrator, which meant about three years of being under the thumb of a mentor before actually allowed to create his own work.  But this was 1954, he was 18 years old, and the military draft was going on. 

Ron turned down Disney and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he served for 22 years before retiring in 1976.  Even during his time with USMC, art was part of his life.  He did graphics and maps as well as illustrations and eventually was named Exhibits Chief at the old Marine Corps Museum. 

Living in Florida for many years, he became fascinated with birds, which are one of his main subjects for his paintings.  He says they have personalities, just like dogs or cats.  At home, he is serenaded by a male yellow and white canary named Buddy (I learned that only male canaries sing). Ron studies birds – live, in photos and through research – before putting them in his artwork.  The backgrounds, however, are straight from his imagination.  If he thinks a bird should be perched in a tree, he creates limbs and tiny leaves for the avian.  He loves that minutiae, like “painting eyebrows on a gnat.”  Creating backgrounds, Ron says, lets his creative juices flow. 

Though Ron currently focuses on acrylics and pastels, he has a strong background in other art forms as well:  drawing, photography, air-brushing and silk-screening to name a few.  He has an Associate Degree in Creative Art from Northern Virginia Community College.

Ron’s show at Brush Strokes is not his first venture in art in Fredericksburg.  Decades ago he worked alongside Johnny Johnson and Cliff Satterthwaite to create an art studio on Hanover Street, where he was a member.

How long does it take Ron to do a painting?  Well…that question was unanswerable.  He often starts one piece, steps back and looks at it, and puts it on hold while he ponders the next step.  Meanwhile, he begins a new piece, so he often is working on two or three paintings at once.  He likes working with acrylics, because after a “mistake” dries he can quickly paint over it and no one will ever know the error existed. Watercolors, he says, require deep thinking before an artist begins because once the paint is down, it’s there. 

Ron is a self-taught artist.  While he may not have excelled in regular course work in school, he believes that “God gave me the talent to create art.”  Throughout his life, from the military to business careers, his hand has been holding a pen or a brush.  I asked Ron what creating art does for him, and he said “It gives me enjoyment.”  Those of us who have seen his art can say that the same thing happens to us when we view it.  His birds, flowers and scenes of nature take us outdoors, giving us both enjoyment and peace in his amazing creations.

Ron’s paintings will be on display at Brush Strokes Gallery from Thursday, July 3 through Sunday July 27.  The gallery will be open on July 4, and will hold a reception for Ron from 5-9 pm.  We hope everyone will stop in before heading off to picnics and fireworks.  Brush Strokes is open Thursdays-Sundays 11-5.

Penny A Parrish is a local writer and a photographer at Brush Strokes Gallery.