Ron DeFelice

DeFelice’s career began upon graduation from Rhode Island School of Design. Starting out as an illustrator and eventually transitioning into the Animation Industry in 1997, where he worked with Disney Feature Animation. As a traditional Background Painter/ Development Artist, he worked on various film productions, including Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear. In 2004, his CG Animation career began as a Color Designer/ Visual Development Artist for Blue Sky Studios where he worked on eleven different film productions including the Ice Age and RIO franchises. The cartoon characters that appear in the artist’s artworks have had a great impact and a significant influence to his career.

Inspired by iconic cartoons over the years, along with his reverence of nature, the artist conceived the idea to produce a whimsical world on canvas. DeFelice uses plein air field studies, clay sculptures and studio painting to build a stage for his characters in these natural environments. Lighting, color and composition are further enhanced through digital design, infused his paintings with nostalgia and fantasy. Sculpture, photography and painting are combined to bring his contemporary surrealist landscapes to fruition.