Ron Di Scenza was born in Ohio in 1954, but his artistic soul was forged in Italy during idyllic summers with his family. His mother took him to Rome, where Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling convinced him to become a painter at a young age. He moved to Long Island in 1970 and was soon exposed to New York’s exciting art scene.
He studied at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan on a scolarship and earned his BFA. After graduating, he became the school’s youngest instructor at age twenty. He also began a career in illustration that lasted twenty years, creating work for major clients like Time Magazine, RCA Records, and Tiffany & Co.
A 1978 poster commission for director Ermanno Olmi gave him his big break. The film’s poster became wildly popular all over New York City. He enjoyed a bohemian lifestyle in a Chelsea loft, thriving on the city’s energy. But his true calling came later in life.
In 1995, at age 41, he returned to his parent’s hometown in Italy and realized his destiny. He knew he always wanted to be a fine artist, particularly an oil painter. He decided to stay, drawn to the golden light and warm colors that cannot be found anywhere else. His last name fittingly means knowledge or awareness in Italian.
“The golden light and warm colors of Italy cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The country is a natural palette of sienna, umber, ochre and warm greens and blues.”
His detailed realism is compared to Vermeer and Velázquez, while the soulfulness of his subjects recalls Caravaggio. He works from dark to light, using glazes to add life and luminescence. He draws inspiration from Rembrandt’s moody lighting and Vermeer’s use of windows.
Di Scenza lives in the Italian region of Molise with his wife Maria and their son. He works in his studio twelve hours a day. His process is careful and deliberate, often using his imagination for backgrounds while painting figures from life and photographs. He is excited to feature his son in upcoming works.
His paintings are held in private collections around the world and displayed in galleries in the United States and Italy. His work connects the classics that shaped him with the modern world. He seeks to create a familiar spirit in his subjects, capturing the sensation of meeting someone for the first time yet feeling you have known them for years.
Q: What defines Ron Di Scenza’s artistic style?
A: His detailed realism, dramatic lighting, and ability to capture the soulfulness of his subjects. His work blends the traditions of the Old Masters with a modern sensibility. His Italian heritage deeply influences his use of warm colors and golden light. He aims to create a sense of familiarity, making viewers feel they have known his subjects for years.
