High Desert Journal: HDJ Interview: Nate Ronniger

HDJ Interview: Nate Ronniger

Interview

by Tyler Roemer | 0 Comments

Nate Ronniger creates fun, colorful oil paintings that create a story board. Ronniger lives in Arizona where he solely focuses on fine art painting. Below you will find an insight to Nate's personal style, influences and life.

Tyler Roemer (TR): When did you first start in the medium of oil painting?
Nate Ronniger (NR): I was fortunate to begin oil painting in high school. It gave me a three year head start in becoming acquainted with brushes, canvas and stretching.

TR: Have you painted in any other mediums other than oil?
NR: I have used watercolors and acrylics. Those mediums were part of my education and learning process. I never used them for long periods of time. Occasionally, I still use design markers for constructing sketches, but oils will always be my primary medium.

TR: What inspires you to paint?
NR: My inspiration can come from anything, but most often it comes from architecture, designers, movies, photographs and books. For instance, my latest series of paintings includes designer chairs by Panton, Eames and others. They are so well designed, it is inspiring to compose an entire still-life around the lines, colors and shapes of these chairs.

TR: I see that your subjects consist on figurines such as Playmobil® characters and other fun creatures. What made you decide to step away from landscape painting and create these fun pieces?
NR: It is difficult to differentiate yourself as a landscape artist. That subject matter has been mastered and explored many times. I was just experimenting with some objects that seemed interesting to me and it stuck.

TR: Typically how long does it take you to complete a piece? Do you ever leave a piece unfinished and come back to it at a later date?
NR: It depends on size and complexity. A painting can take anywhere from a week to a couple months. I don't ever sit them aside. It's important to keep at it. There is a loss of momentum if I am even to take a break for a couple days, so I usually don't even take weekends until I am between paintings.

TR: What if any are some struggles that you are faced with when painting a piece and having the career as an artist?
NR: Pacing myself for shows is an ongoing challenge. I have to provide enough paintings to present a large collection of never-before-seen pieces, but that can take months. And in the meantime, I cannot sell or show them. So it's a bit of a roller-coaster ride.

TR: In this day in age of booming artists in every facet, how do you create an "original" piece of work that's not labeled cliché?
NR: I don't think much about that when creating them. I draw a lot of inspiration from other artists, designers, media. Everything is derivative in some way. Even a landscape artist is imitating nature. I try to be myself and paint the things that excite me. As long as that is authentic there will always be moments of originality.

TR: Have you won any awards? Where can we find your art today?
NR: I've won many awards, including Western Division Winner for New American Paintings. And my work has been published in Southwest Art, American Art Collector and Desert Living Magazine to name a few. You can find my work at Bonner David Galleries in Scottsdale, Arizona and Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, Texas.

TR: Can you give any words of encouragement that will help other aspiring artists?
NR: Work. That's the first thing. It is not an easy job. It takes discipline, and endless hours of solitude. Some of it is marketing, some is networking, but in the end, if you haven't put the hours in, none of the rest of it will sustain you.

For more on Nate Ronniger you can visit his website at: nateronniger.com or e-mail him at: nate@nateronniger.com

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