Despite never receiving any formal art education, art has always been essential to Ron Swearingen‘s identity. Ron studied Rangeland Management with an emphasis in wildlife habitat management from the University of Wyoming.; and it was while in college that he discovered the beauty of pastels and began to experiment with the medium and self-learn.

Ron primarily paints using pastels, and sometimes with oils. His work varies widely including landscapes, western scenes, animals, industrial scenes and more. His inspiration comes from the diverse and magnificent landscapes of Wyoming, as well the State’s history and western traditions.

Currently, Ron has been focusing on paintings that have a strong design, along with a color scheme that is emotionally provocative. He is not interested in rendering a photographic copy of a subject or scene; but rather creating paintings that will engage the viewer on a deeper emotional level. He will often combine several references to create a specific painting idea, and then come up with a color scheme to enhance the “feel” and emotions of the piece.  Ron is always pushing himself and looking for opportunities to paint in unexpected ways; or searching how to paint commonly painted subjects in new, exciting ways.