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Still Making Waves in the Art World

LORENABENIQUEZ/West Branch Life

Above, Ron Beach works on one of his pieces in his home studio. Below, the artist painted “My Pheasant Hunter, ” which is one of many works depicting the flora and fauna of our area.

By LORENA BENIQUEZ West Branch Life

Ron Beach’s acrylic paintings of wildlife and landscapes have captured art collector’s attention for decades now. As Beach stands in his Montoursville studio, he is talking about one of his favorite paintings. Titled “My Pheasant Hunter, ” an English setter named Duke stands proudly in a sun drenched field holding a pheasant in his mouth. The mastery of technique displayed in the fur and light is captivating. It truly looks as if this dog is standing right in front of you. “I’m a realist. I try to make it as real as I can get it, ” says Beach. And that is why he has gained such a following.

Many art lovers were introduced to Beach’s work at festivals in our area and throughout upstate New York. “I did quite well. I was doing 16 - 17 festivals a year, ” says the artist, who has cut back on the festival circuit since it took him away from his family so much but he hasn’t quit fests all together. Beach’s next showing will be October 14-16 at the Flaming Foliage Festival in Renovo. While there, he will exhibit and sell canvases and prints of the subjects he is best known for - Pennsylvania’s flora and fauna. His pieces have titles such as “Susquehanna Summer, ” “Loyalsock Autumn” and “Country Classics. ”

Beach’s love of nature started as a young boy when he wandered the woods “nature snooping, ” as he calls it. While he painted a bit in high school, it wasn’t until 1984 that the self-taught artist began his art journey in earnest. After Beach’s then fiancee, now wife (Sandra Beach), gifted him acrylic paints and brushes, the budding artist blossomed. “Like anything you do, the more you do it, the better you get, ” he says. Early on, Beach was drawn to the work of Robert Bateman, a well known wildlife artist from Canada. “His [work’s] composition and atmosphere drew me in. He was a big influence on me, ” says Beach, who later met the artist and considers him a mentor. The fact that Beach is a conservationist may have more than a little influence on the subject matter he paints. As a former Deputy Game Protector with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Beach once took on the task of collecting hair from Allegheny rabbits for a study. “I paint what I like, ” he says happily.

“My art may never be in a museum but they are in homes and offices, ” says the artist who has a quiet confidence about his work with no trace of boastfulness when he says, “I’m probably doing the best work that I ever did. ” ronbeachart.com