Whenever I think about the soul of the artist, I’m drawn to the words of my father who said, “I don’t paint or create things because I like to do it. It actually hurts me, but I paint and I create because I have to do it. I have to get it out of me” And, create he did.

You’ve never heard of Ron Mosman, which is just unfortunate. He was a quiet, gentle, and unassuming man with great depth of character and a wholly creative mind who left behind an incredible body of art. In fact, it’s such a prolific body of work as to leave even us, his children, mystified by him.

As a painter, Ron Mosman did have a few one-man shows in his day, all long before I was ever born. I attribute his lack of interest in showing his paintings to the fact he wasn’t interested in the scrutiny and critiques of others or perhaps he was very sensitive to it. To reiterate, he didn’t create for the enjoyment of others, he created because he had no other choice in the matter. 

Over the course of 50+ years, Ron Mosman painted the things he knew best; scenes from his everyday life. This could be the farm he grew up on, or the park near my childhood home. He also loved painting portraits of the people he loved. He always managed to capture something in the eyes; it wasn’t just a look, but it was alive. It was life that he captured along with the soul and essence of his subjects. 

I remember the patience he would show in executing his ideas. Many times he would sketch them out before committing them to canvas. He always felt as if there was something else he could do to tweak his vision, and only when he would sign his name was he fully satisfied with the final result.

After our father died, my brother and I were tasked with cleaning up the remains of his life. We stumbled upon rolls and rolls of his work, thrown into the attic corners and tucked-away like distant, painful memories until we unearthed it all. These were paintings we never knew existed and allowed us a glimpse into his mind and his creative process. Any questions I have regarding his paintings and process will remain unanswered by him for eternity, but I can’t help but wonder why he never allowed anyone to see such beautiful, heartfelt and timeless pieces.

Obviously, art and art appreciation are subjective. I respect anyone who is of the creative spirit for it can be quite the journey. I hope by sharing these paintings, someone else can love and appreciate the art of Ron Mosman as much as I do.