We were lucky to catch up with RON RUNDO recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi RON, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I would say the most meaningful project I’ve experienced in these 40 some odd years of pursuit, is the ‘project’ of working to make it as an artist in this world…to be able to achieve a level of success whereby you can actually live off your work. Achieving a career, in and of itself, is quite the ‘project’

RON, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Things started in the 70’s when I started writing graffiti. It was fun, creative…had a chance to explore my imagination. I did a lot of stuff in these cool ‘black books’…these black hardcover books with couple hundred blank white pages. I’d spend hours with my magic markers making up graffiti pieces.
Anywho, as I got older, that evolved into other creative paths…acrylic and oil painting. Especially oil. Spent many years working to learn that medium and at the same time realized this is kinda who I want to be.
I want to learn how to paint like the ‘Masters” and use what I learned to paint….and live :)
Took a few left and right turns in life but pretty much stayed the course and followed my art.
In 91′ I got a freelance gig painting postage stamps with a company IGPC and it changed the world…a steading gig painting!! It was amazing…I composed and painted 1000 some odd stamps for different countries around the world.
Did that for a solid 11yrs but things changed as things do and I went on to some computer graphics to continue…ended up between painting and graphics I was with IGPC for about 20yrs.
Life took its course but I maintained life in the arts.
Found myself in Santa Fe New Mexico’s art scene and painted up a storm!!! Portraits a speciality! Really thought I had made it….was on TV, magazines, in galleries! 5 different galleries between New Mexico and Colorado! Man, I felt like superman…I could paint anything, my skill was as it had never been!
Then life happened and the worst economical disaster since the Great Depression happened in 2007-o8. Since I was so new on the scene, my work just went into “storage’ . But fortunately, the art Director with my main gallery “Galleri Zuger’ took all my stuff and shipped it back to me. Was able to make a few odd and end sales but life had truly changed in those economic times.
I had to reinvent myself…my work…found myself doing different things, wall sculptures, murals…anything to keep living the art.
I had an idea with sculpting…sculpting scenes, trees, rocks, vines, ‘habitats’ and stuff. like they do at the Bronx Zoo but more specifically for snakes.
Over a bunch of years, I was able to turn this into steady work. And once again…there ain’t nothing like steady work for an artist! This is where I find myself today.
I launched this thing called Snakescapes and it has taken my work all round the world once again…

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Living a life where I can do my thing…create art and stuff for others.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2007-08 I had to reinvent myself…had to find another way back into my art. After a number of years working in a direction with my painting…that economic crash changed the landscape of my life.
I did find another way when I came up with this ‘Wall Sculpture’ kinda thing. It proved to be a pretty good idea. I have some very interesting projects to work on…some restaurants and stuff

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ronrundo.com www.snakescapes.com
• Instagram: snakescapesbyron
• Facebook: Ron Rundo