You are bidding on a stunning original signed portrait of America's great and legendary figure "Buffalo Bill" Cody by artist Ron Rundo.  www.ronrundo.com This oil on canvas is a full 30" x 40" evokes stirring feelings of our wild west frontiersman heritage.

About the Artist 

”These paintings express my interpretation of the world and illustrate my dedication to the classical style of painting. Employing this style, I strive to enhance and heighten the beauty found in nature, attempting to elevate even the ordinary to the extraordinary”           Ron Rundo

The Early Influence of Norman Rockwell -As an adolescent Ron went from drawing lessons in comic books to painting his graffiti tag along the sides of trains and subways in NYC. Ron willingly broke free of his graffiti upbringing and became enthralled with the artwork of Norman Rockwell.  Rockwell was his first artistic inspiration. At age 19 Ron sold his first painting to a dentist in Boston. Ron composed the painting as would Rockwell.

Pratt Art Institute -Ron attended Pratt Art Institute for a semester but left because it was too abstract for his taste. He wanted to learn more about what it took to become a Master Painter. 

Art Students League -Ron then attended the Art Students League. There Ron felt he was not receiving enough instruction and eventually took drawing sessions from live models for a few years.  

John Frederic Murray Studio -Ron finally found what he was looking for at the John Frederic Murray Studio in Rockville Center, NY.  There Ron learned many of the techniques and applications of the master painters he adored viewing while growing up at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  These included Peter Paul Reubens and Anthony Van Dyke. Running short of funds Ron was only able to study for 1 year (drawing/ anatomy). During that short time, however, Ron paid much attention to what was going on around him. Watching the more advanced students, he picked up enough information to go back to his studio and try to "re-invent the wheel", taking what he observed and putting it use. 

Self-Taught -Most of what Ron does is self taught. He learned by performing a series of exercises in which he would put together some of his favorite paintings and re-produce them....... a “Master Forgery attempt.”  Ron continued to learn and study from the Masters. One of Ron's most insightful pieces was one he painted "The Creation of Man" ala Michelangelo, an 18 foot wide by 17 foot long ceiling mural for a patron in the Atlantic Beach Estates. 

As Ron matured so did his artwork.  To date, Ron has diligently studied all of the aforementioned Master Painters’ methods of application and is proud to say he has found his way. 

Today, Ron creates stunning realistic oil portraits and oil landscapes from his imagination, with the knowledge acquired by yesterdays’ Master Painters.  Ron has gained a wealth of artistic expression and now creates bodies of artwork as variations on a theme, such as the Sunset. 

Ron is also a sculptor- His vision was to create extraordinary jungle like habitats for his reptiles/snakes.  With advice from a Bronx Zoo curator and the use of environmentally safe materials used by the Bronx Zoo, Ron was able to create safe functioning environments depicting all of nature’s nuances and beauty.  These are called “Naturescapes” by Ron Rundo.

Stamp Illustrator- At an early age and encouraged by his peers Ron decided to enter the art world as an illustrator and worked to put together an incredible wildlife portfolio and sought a stamp illustrator position. Ron landed a career with Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corporation and over the span of 11 years become IGCP's top earning artist.  Much of his highly sought after status came to fruition based upon his highly acclaimed Marilyn Monroe Stamp. By the time his career as an illustrator was considered “a thing of the past,” Ron had amassed well over a 1,000 designed stamps in circulation spanning the globe in over 25 countries. Ron has received international recognition as a stamp illustrator.

Commissioned Works- During the years working as an illustrator Ron continued to work on numerous commissioned oil paintings and large scale murals.  These included large-scale murals, miniatures, portraiture, classical figure paintings and sculpture.  Clients include: John Guare; portrait “John and Adel”, Howard Stern; portrait “Duke Howard of Stern”, Sidney Sheldon; portrait “Great authors of the 20th Century” Postage Stamp and Lem Burnham; portrait “Philadelphia Eagles”.

Currently represented by:

Galerie Zuger; Santa Fe, New Mexico

Atkinson Fine Art; Atlanta Georgia

Monsoon Gallery; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Selected Museum Exhibitions

Miniature Art Society of Florida International Art Show 2001; Dunedin, Florida.

Federal Duck Stamp 2001; Washington D.C.

Masterworks in Miniature Show 2002 & 2003; Mentor, Ohio

The Art Center at Fuller Lodge 2001; Los Alamos, New Mexico

Miniature Art Society of Florida International Miniature Art Show 2002&2003; Gulf Coast Museum

World Federation of Miniaturists 3rd Worldwide Exhibition of Fine Arts in Miniature 2004;

Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C.

Articles, Reviews, and Mentions  

“Marilyn Monroe”, Newsday/ January 1995, Examiner/ January 1995

“Princess Diana”, Linn’s Stamp News/ November 1997, Stamp Magazine/ 

September 1998, Canadian Stamp News/ June 1997

“Sidney Sheldon”, Linn’s Stamp News/ June 1997, Beverly Hills (213)/ October 1999, Linn’s Stamp News/ November 1999

“Elizabeth Taylor”; Global Stamp News/ June 1997, Stamp Mart/ September 1997

“Birds in Their Natural

“Prehistoric Creatures”; Mekeels & Stamps Magazine/ May 2003

“Legends on Legal Tender”, Magic/ November 2000

“Making Faces”; Los Alamos Monitor/ October 2001

“Operation Iraqi Freedom”; Mekeels & Stamps Magazine/ May 2003

“20th Anniversary of Coronation/ Queen Elizabeth”: Stamp & Coin Mart Magazine/ June 2003