Since 1994 Ron and Kay have spent each summer as artists-in-residence at a historic resort in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Surrounded by the 71,000 acres of pristine landscape and abundant wildlife of Custer State Park, they seldom struggle to find subjects for their paintings. They spend many weeks each year in South Dakota and in other areas across North America doing field research, sketching, photographing and video-taping wildlife and their habitats. As you can see from the paintings on this site, their travels extend from the barrier islands of the east coast to the rugged mountains of the northwest. To learn more about Ron and Kay, their biographical abstracts are listed below.
Ron Holyfield’s paintings exhibit a sense of presence that could be created only through a deep love of subject as well as a mastery of technical skills. His birds and animals look out from foliage that is almost tangible. In each work you expect the wildlife to have moved if you glance away. His power of design influences the whole context and mood of his work bringing forth colors, forms, and delicate subtleties to create exceptional works of art. Ron has painted in most mediums but for the past 35 years has worked only in acrylics, developing many techniques suited to his style of painting.
Ron and his wife, noted artist Kay Williams, presently live in the beautiful Tennessee River Valley in southeastern Tennessee, near the Smokey Mountains. When they are not working in their studio, or at an exhibit, Ron and Kay can often be found gathering reference material for future paintings. They spend many weeks each year doing field research, sketching, photographing and video taping, wildlife and habitat. As you can see from the paintings produced, their travels extend from the barrier islands along the east coast to the rugged mountains of the northwest. Additionally, since 1994, Ron and Kay have spent about three months each summer in the Black Hills of South Dakota where they live with about 1500 Buffalo (Bison). Each year a good number of Ron’s paintings reflect his impressions of the prairie, the Black Hills and the wildlife of that area. Ron’s exhibits of recent years include most of the important nature and wildlife art shows around the country and his work has been honored by many BEST OF SHOW and ARTIST OF THE YEAR awards. Some of Ron’s special honors include:
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Kay Williams’ passions for painting and nature have combined to provide her with a lifetime of inspiration. Her landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, where she lived much of her life, or of the east, where she now lives in the lovely Tennessee River Valley in southeastern Tennessee, or of western South Dakota, where she spends her summers, show a sense of place rarely seen. Her paintings reflect a love of her subjects that can’t be missed.
Kay paints only with oils and employs some of the techniques used by the old masters. Her major paintings take several weeks to complete because she paints in thin layers and each layer must dry before starting on the next layer. Glazes are used throughout the painting process to give the image depth and brilliance. When not in the studio, Kay and her husband, noted artist Ron Holyfield, can usually be found studying, photographing, videotaping and sketching wildlife and the habitat that surrounds them. Together they have observed more wildlife behavior than many research biologists. Since 1994 Kay and Ron have spent every summer in the Black Hills of South Dakota as artists-in-residence at a historic resort where she shares her talent and love of the natural world with visitors from all over the planet. A number of Kay’s paintings are her impressions of the prairie, hills and the multitude of wildlife in that part of the country.There is no doubt that many people are impacted by the power of her art as well as her views about the absolute necessity of nature in the environment. Kay's accomplishments continue to accrue. Some of her special honors include:
Kay has participated in premiere art shows and events for many years. These include:
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