RON KENWORTHY

Artist Biography

Ron Kenworthy was born and raised on a farm near Rockyford on the banks of the Serviceberry Creek.  He taught for 31 years in several rural Alberta communities and retired in Drumheller in 2003. His mother was a landscape artist and nurtured a love of nature and the prairie heritage in her children.  As Ron lacked the even rudimentary artistic skills of drawing and painting, he turned to the camera to capture the beauty of Alberta landscape, old buildings and nature.  Ron’s father was a farmer by vocation, but a carpenter at heart and taught Ron skills he uses today to create his frames out of recycled wood and other bits and pieces of nostalgia.  Ron has attended a U of C evening credit course, but is mostly self-taught.  He has had photos selected for several  calendars and by Visual Arts Alberta for the past two years. 

Artist Statement

I attain a feeling of peace and freedom in my trips along the back roads of our area as I search for that next shot.  Once a subject is discovered, I spend an hour or so getting the feel of the place and looking for angles that will best highlight the image I visualize for the print.  My subjects are most often derelict evidence of our pioneer past and the hard labour of our ancestors.  Each building or homestead speaks to us of the families that lived and laughed, despaired and cried, and built this great province for our generation and those to come.  I take photos for very selfish reasons of pure enjoyment, but I feel a duty to share so that others can catch a glimpse of the beauty out there for the asking.