I backed into it later in life.
I look back now on the drawings I made in my youth and I see the connection to where I am now so clearly- strong, evocative landscapes and the people that inhabit them, a sense of place, history and memory.
After a few creative careers, I taught myself oil painting and portraiture by the study of British contemporary figurative artists Lucien Freud and Francis Bacon. This past year I made the shift to painting landscapes featuring man tending to nature. These large-scale colorful oil paintings are my exploration of place and people working the land and the indelible connection between the two. I ground each painting in a strong narrative, while at the same time I work to un-train myself of the constraints of traditional representation. I make conscious choices to feature my intuition and the inherent qualities of color and form found in the real world.
I grew up in a Mennonite family with a strong faith heritage and deep agricultural roots. I look back and see the profound effect this has on the subjects of my art. In addition, I paint from my studio, a 2-room schoolhouse originally built in 1893, located in Brighton, CO in the heart of a small rural community on the Eastern plains. All the subjects for my current paintings come from the farming community I see right out my door.
I paint landscapes and figures as well as create public art. If you have any questions about a painting or you are considering a commission, please contact me.
Born
Born in San Jose, CA, 1963
Living and working in CO
Education
San Jose State University, Film and Video Studies, 1987
University of Colorado, Boulder, BS, Architectural Engineering, 1985
Professional History
2013 – 2017, Adams County Visual Arts Commission, CO
2007 - 2010, Owner, Creative Director, DMG Design Lounge LLC, CO, clothing design
1996 - 2004, President, Director, Satellite Press, CO, magazine & book publisher
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Gerbrandt: American Life, CACE Art Center, Fort Morgan, CO
2016 Part and Parcel, Lewis Art Studio, Denver, CO
2016 Extra-ordinary, Ice Cube Gallery, Denver, CO
2015 Ron Gerbrandt: Looking for a Cure, Ice Cube Gallery, Denver, CO
2014 Grand Opening, Point Gallery, Denver, CO
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019 The 29th Holiday Miniatures Show, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2019 Colorado Showcase 2019, PACE Center, Parker, CO
2018 Windows to the Divine Invitational, Space Gallery, Denver, CO
2017 Representing the West, Sangre de Cristo Art Center, Pueblo, CO
2016 Loveland Fine Art & Sculpture Invitational, Loveland, CO
2016 Art of the State 2016, Arvada Center for the Arts, Arvada, CO
2016 Anything is Possible, Concept Art Space, Denver, CO
2015 Fresh Paint 2015, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
2015 2015 Contemporary Art Survey, Fort Collins Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, CO
2015 Real and Unreal, Arvada Center for the Arts, Arvada, CO
2015 2015 Colorado Ballet Gala, Colorado Ballet, Denver, CO
2015 Art and Soul, Space Gallery, Denver, CO
2014 Ingrained, Ice Cube Gallery, Denver, CO
2014 Best of Santa Fe Art District, Knoll Gallery, Denver, CO
2014 Winter Show, Lone Tree Arts Center, Lone Tree, CO
2013 Side Effects May Include, Carson Gallery, Denver, CO
2013 Art of the State, Arvada Center for the Arts, Arvada, CO
Affiliations
Portrait Society of America
Publications
2018 Southwest Art, “Windows to the Divine”, by Kim Agricola, April, 2018
2015 MEA11, by Manifest Press, Dec, 2015
2015 Art Ltd Magazine, show review, May/June, 2015
2015 Westword, “People and Patterns”, by Michael Paglia, June 16, 2015
Collections
Adams County Government Center, Brighton, CO
Boulder Theater and High School, Boulder, CO
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
Private Collections, United States