Ron Elstad (b.1944)

Following as a lifetime resident of California, a noted career as a Commercial Illustrator and the transformation to a celebrated America Artist, Ron Elstad made the move to New Mexico. A resident of Santa Fe, Elstad considers himself a Colorist in the pure sense, with Impressionistic painting intentions. Like many painters before him, the light and landscapes of the American Southwest, along with the casually slower life style drew this remarkable artist to the area.

Focused during his Fine Art career, Colorist Ron Elstad depicted more impressionist landscapes of California and the western areas of the country. His bold colorist strokes of thick selected colors became his hallmark as one of the best painters of the region. Largely a self taught fine art painter, following his dozen years as an Illustrator, Elstad was an accepted follow artist of many groups on top California painters, including the California Art Club.

The Taos Gallery, Scottsdale describes his career as: A member of the Oil Painters of America and the California Art Club, Elstad has enjoyed numerous awards including the Bronze Medal in the Art of California Discovery Awards. Elstad is acclaimed for his representational and "colorfully loose, yet controlled" style of "plein aire" painting for which he has collectors throughout the United States. A noted collector is Joan Irvine Smith of Southern California.

The artist uses pure color and avoids blacks and browns because he does not want his work to look dark or "muddy." He works with brushes and palette knives, which he ladens heavily with paint to create a heavy impasto effect. His technique is to add colors with single directional strokes, concentrating on one area at a time. Often he mixes his colors on the canvas by brushing them into each other.

Elstad credits his style to American impressionists, particularly those painters of early twentieth-century Southern California including Carl Oscar Borg, Hanson Puthuff, Edgar Payne and William Wendt.

As one of the group that revived the California Art Club, founded in 1909, Elstad expresses his commitment to preserving, not only the traditions, but the quality of brush work and color of those preceding impressionists. In Southwest Art magazine, February 1995, Elstad and his peers were described as the "New Generation of California artists bonded by a reverence for the pure, spiritual beauty of nature. Like their predecessors, who were among our first environmentalists, todays artists are inspired by the light and shadow and the unique color palette found in Californias endless supply of natural subjects."

Ron Elstad (b.1944) Autobiography

I first began painting at the age of eleven. I then went on painting as a novice, constantly learning, until the mid to late 60’s when I began studying the trade of illustration at Los Angeles Trade Technical College in California. I finished up my illustration studies at Santa Ana Jr. College in the late 70’s. Afterward, I furthered my studies of illustration at a higher level when I went on to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. in the tail end of the 70’s and the beginning of the 80’s. I studied there under the tutelage of the now well-known painter Dan McCaw, who later became my mentor and a very good friend. He has been a strong and inspiring influence on my work.

In the next 11 years, I became a freelance illustrator and during this time, I joined as a member of the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, later becoming a member of their board of directors for 4 years. Somewhat later, I decided to transition my creative efforts to being a gallery painter. My swan song for the end of my illustration career was that of two gold medals and a best-of-show, which were presented to me for the two works that were previously accepted into the annual 1990 Society of Illustrators West Coast show.

Now, as for my new career as a gallery painter, I was very fortunate to start out being represented by one of the premier galleries in Laguna Beach, CA, the Redfern Gallery. At that time, this gallery only handled historic museum master’s fine works of art. Therefore, my paintings were hung among these great works and were subsequently sold.

After about 2 years, I was taken on for representation by one of Ray Redfern’s largest collectors, Joan Irvine Smith, who was in the process of opening a new art museum in Orange County, as well as a new gallery in Laguna Beach. This was a significant development in my career.

From there, I went on to be represented by various galleries in Pacific Grove and Carmel, CA, including the well-recognized Trailside Gallery, until the turn of the Century.

During a California Art Club show opening, I was approached by Susanne Hollis, the owner and proprietor of HOLLIS Pasadena, fine art and antique furniture galleries of Old Pasadena, CA. Susanne asked me if I would like to be represented by her. I accepted and have been with her for nearly 20 years.

In later years, in 2016, I was contacted by the chairman of the board of the historic New York Art organization, the Salmagundi Art Club, and invited to exhibit a work of mine in their annual American Masters show. This officially makes me a Master painter by New York standards.

At present, at the age of 79, I live in Santa Fe, NM, where I have my own comfortable home and studio. I'm fortunate to be represented by the Michael Wigley Galleries Ltd.

This is an image of me at the age of 11 holding a couple of my then-recent paintings, and the other is a self-portrait I did in 1981 as a promotional image.