There was a time and place where family traditions ran deep and strong. Where neighbors helping neighbors was as common as overalls and cotton gingham dresses and the belief in God and Country transcended politics and the fickle winds of political correctness. Where heroes wore uniforms with small American flags on the sleeves and loved ones on the home front carried on with courage and determination. Through my art, I would like to tell the stories of a people ofter called "The Greatest Generation". The generation of my Grandparents, who lived through very troubling times. A generation who experienced two world wars as well as the Great Depression.
I have chosen charcoal as my primary medium and the reason for doing this is because I believe, charcoal more than any other media expresses the mood and the character of the time period. I seem to be drawn towards old photographs and I really enjoy black and white movies of the 1930's, 40's and 50's. The dramatic lighting and shadows are very appealing to me. I try to evoke the same mood and feeling in my drawings... of a time that has all but vanished and a remembrance of forgotten places.
It is my desire to help the viewer travel back to that era and revisit a place that can still be found in the gentle spirits and honest hearts of those living in a magical place called the South.
All Images Copyright 2013 Ronnie D. Riner
