Ronald T. Crawford

Ronald T. Crawford’s paintings reflect both the theoretical and physical aspects of his life. On the one hand he has an extensive fine art education and has been exhibiting his work for over 30 years. On the other hand, for the past 25 years he has had extensive experience working on Salt Spring Island with functional and sculptural stonework. His multifaceted paintings are the result of the blending of contemporary painting concerns with the earthy spiritualism of stone. These works are made with a unique combination of plaster and acrylic paint, resulting in a modern variation on the frescoes. The surfaces are carved, shaped, sanded and painted until they take on a rich, naturally eroded appearance. The physical depth of the plaster gives a real surface for shadow and light to alter and enrich the image. Within the plaster, natural and man made patterns co-exist in an uneasy alliance of form.

“All the paintings in the current body of work grow naturally into their existence, as opposed to being created in order to decorate an idea. The new work is neither abstract nor representational, but rather what i would call fictional landscapes: a kind of walk through places of my own creation, made with tools of my own invention. A destination or a walk along the tideline of ideas. I am trying to inhabit the places where we as individuals think of our own triumphs and sorrows within the power of nature. The tide is the true master here, but i hope that sometimes truth can be found in fiction.”