Artist Focus: Ronnie Wells

“I have been an artist much of my whole life,” says Ronnie Wells. “I realized I could draw at the early age of 5. Having an opportunity to grow up on a small rural farm was instrumental in becoming who I am today. I was constantly sketching the birds and animals around my childhood home.”

Silent Wings, oil, 23 x 32”

Wells, who graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 1968 with a fine arts degree, remembers the words of his art teachers. “I remember one of my college professors stating, ‘one must learn to look at the world through the eyes of an artist’,” he says. After graduation, Wells became a medical illustrator at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston. “I needed a means to provide a living for my wife, Patricia, and our two young children. I considered myself very fortunate because I knew that wasn’t my future. I continued to view the world through the eyes of an artist, storing away for future use. Four years later I resigned to pursue my goal as a full-time professional artist.”

Chisholm Trail Mavericks, bronze, 17 x 25 x 72”

Since then Wells has had a prosperous career as an artist.

“My approach is always the same, whether painting or sculpting. I strive for an emotional bond with the subject, carrying it in my heart and mind, sometimes weeks and months, before I actually begin the project,” he says. “Once finished with the research, I am emotionally invested in the project and can’t wait to begin. I’m often asked, what is my favorite piece of art I have created. My response, ‘The one I am currently working on.’ My aspiration is to convey to the viewer some of my emotional involvement with the subject, in a straightforward, honest manner. If I am successful, they will also share some of that emotion.”