It was 1949. A very good year, indeed! For, on September 18th, Springfield, Ohio natives, Arthur (better known as Benny) and Marjorie Stephens, became the proud parents of their second child. A son they named Ronald LaMar Stephens I. Who knew, at that moment, that baby Ron was born an exceptional artist, blessed with extraordinary artistic talents? And they would eventually find out that Ron would be the one of five children, who would tinker and take things apart to see how they ticked, then put them back together, again. And he would be the one who painted flashy, fancy designs on his cars, and carved and cut designs into his shoes. And he’d also be the one who would secretly fix his mom’s knick-knacks that mysteriously got broken while she and his dad were away from home! And, who knew, Ron's second child, son John R. Stephens, would become the six-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, pianist, producer, John Legend?
Ron's mother, Marjorie, recalls that her son's talents began at an early age. As young as two or three years old, the quiet Ron would often retreat to a private corner in the house by himself. Upon checking on him to make sure he was okay, his mom would find him, pencil in his little hand, attempting to draw. At a tender age, Ron's creative seed had sprouted, in an effort to recreate on paper, what his mind's eye could see. As his passion for drawing grew, so grew the encouragement and support of his family and friends. Ron's earliest memory of knowing he had 'something', came when he was about five or six years old, when he drew a picture of his younger brother, and it actually looked like him!
Throughout his youth, Ron avidly pursued art education and training while attending Hayward Jr. High and Springfield South High Schools. In 1967, a few months after graduating from high school, Ron entered the U.S. Air Force National Guard. There he continued to satisfy his desire to create, by drawing portraits for his fellow comrades - for a small fee of five dollars! After the military, Ron still wanted to develop his artistic skills and techniques. He fulfilled this desire by receiving formal training at the Dayton Art Institute, in Dayton, Ohio; Wittenberg University, in Springfield, Ohio; and Central State University, in Wilberforce, Ohio.
In 1973, Ron married and began a family, which meant working and providing for his wife and their four children. At his job Ron would draw during his breaks, and, once again, would end up drawing portraits for fellow coworkers. The word was out! Soon Ron's, employer, Navistar, learned of his talent and commissioned his work for some specific corporate occasions. He did so until his retirement in 1999. During those years, Ron also used his artistry at the church he attended, making banners and posters.
Over the years, Ron has continually grown as an artist, however, the 1980's would unveil, yet another layer of his mind's eye. The impact of events in his personal life, would profoundly affect his artistic perspective. The depth of his emotion would become the soul of his art. The reflections of his vision would, unmistakably, catapult him to another level of creativity. Not only did his eye develop a stronger view, his drawings began to actually manifest life on paper, each piece taking on a quality of realness. Now, Ron's focus was not only on producing good work, but promoting it as well.
With that realization, baby steps were taken toward the making of the full-time career of Ron Stephens, the artist. With retirement and his children all grown, Ron was able to devote his efforts to the business of art. And, even though Ron's intent was to make a go of the business, it was not without a little push from his sister, Neysa Heyward, who would see his Martin Luther King drawing. When asked what he was going to do with it when he finished, Ron gave a very modest response. It was that modest response that moved her to emphasize the importance of making his work visible and available beyond local boundaries. And with her 'little push', also came an offer of financial backing, whenever he was ready to get started and get his drawing in print. In July 1989, Ron entered that same King drawing in competition, at the Dayton Black Cultural Festival, in Dayton, Ohio, and won first place, in the pencil art category. Confidence boosted, Ron decided he was ready to venture out, and true to her word, Neysa helped make his Martin Luther King portrait the first, of several limited edition prints, to be sold. She also introduced Ron to a gallery owner in Durham, North Carolina, who shared information that would land Ron's work in Things Graphics and Fine Arts, in Washington, D.C.
In 1998, Ron established his art studio, Crown Portraits. He is achieving recognition for his outstanding works of art and his drawing pencil is now reaching across the United States and abroad. He has hosted several one-man art shows and numerous speaking engagements, and has been interviewed on local radio.
Some of his accolades include: In 1998, Ron received the Charles White Drawing Award. December 2005 brought the opportunity for Ron to travel to South Africa, where he had the honor of presenting his most recent portrait, Nelson Mandela, to Mr. Mandela’s daughter, Zinzi. In January 2006, Ron exhibited his art at a celebration hosted by Denise Rich, in her home in New York City. In August 2006, Ron was interviewed on FOX-TV News, in Dayton, Ohio, where he displayed some of his work. Ron presented a print of his Malcolm X portrait to Betty Shabazz, during her visit to Wittenberg University, in Springfield, Ohio. And in Atlanta, Georgia, he donated his Martin Luther King portrait to the MLK Memorial Foundation. In September of 2006 Ron presented an original work in her likeness to Oprah Winfrey during one of her live shows.
As an artist, Ron does not only draw exceptionally well. For his latest work, he chose wood, carving a magnificent piece called "Soulful Hands". It is the second of two wood sculptures Ron has done. His vision came to life in his garage, and is made of about 250 to 300 pieces of beautifully hand carved wood, pieced together like a puzzle. This style of carved woodwork is called "intarsia". By August 29, 2006, Ron had completed the 400- hour, one-of-a-kind project. Ron has also painted with oil paints, although his preference is pencil.
Ron has great flair for home interior design, as is evident throughout his house. He apprenticed with jewelry craftsman, Ron Neal. He is a self-taught tailor, designing and making his own suits. Only time will tell what Ron will do next!
The sky's the limit and there are no boundaries to the creative genius of Ron Stephens I!
