LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 22 We first shared this story in our pandemic forced digital only issue in the summer of 2020. Although that issue was enjoyed by many readers, we felt it deserved to be shown in print so our readers could once again appreciate the artistic details. Ron Rakowski is a prolific Old Forge-based Plein Air painter. Having exhibited widely around the Adirondacks, his work has been shown at the Cen- ter Adirondack Art Show, the Adirondack National Exhibition of American Watercolors, and at the Old Forge Library, among other venues. He's won multiple awards as well. Drawn to details in nature, such as battered rocks, rushing water, gnarly trees, and snow, Ron loves painting outdoors— especially in winter. Perhaps it's because he's a cross-country skier that Ron is drawn to the shadows that play on the snow. Whatever the case may be, he has painted a paint- ing a day during the winter months for the last three years running. His subjects have ranged from ski scenes to daily life in Old Forge. He says that, "Over three hundred paintings later, I still have not run out of things to paint." These days he tends to document landscapes most, because he feels the world is changing so fast, and he wants to preserve it for the future. Ron favors watercolor, "because it's simple and compact." That said, he also acknowledges that watercolors can be used to create complex effects with various techniques. Painting En Plein Air with the Old Forge-based Mountain Air Painters in the summer, that practicality comes into play. Every Thursday during the warmer months, this group of like-minded individuals meet at their favorite venues around the Old Forge area to capture a new scene: the bridge on Green Bridge Road, the Moose River, Carry Lake, Fulton Chain Station, and at a number of private camps. Ron also participates at the Plein Air Paintout—a lively auction that benefits the local art center. He looks at it as a way to give back to View, which pro- vides the Mountain Air Painters with a go-to place during inclement weather, along with hosting their subgroup, the Mountain Air Polar Bears, during the winter. When not painting Ron enjoys exploring the Adirondacks with friends and family. Artist Profile: Ron Rakowski

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