Muchas gracias, Madrid!

Intrigue and Inspiration in Spectacular Spain

Our family traveled to Madrid at the end of August for a semester abroad college drop off. What we knew was going to be a wonderful adventure and vacation turned into a week of considerable inspiration for Ronn. The center of Spain, one of the most populated cities in Europe with over three million people, became a catalyst for creation. While we spent most of our time in Madrid, we did take a day trip to Toldeo, a city that has protected its history through the preservation of architecture. One structure dates back to 999! We spent a good part of our day in the Santa Iglesia Cathedral where construction began in 1227. Inspired by the historical architecture, graffiti, and rusty objects most would overlook, Ronn took to sketching.

Another benefit of being an artist in Madrid are the museums. We visited Museo Nacional del Prado, Spain's national art museum and home to over 2,300 works of art from the 11th to the 18th centuries. More inspiring for Ronn, however, was Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia which is Madrid's modern art gallery of 20th century masters such as Dali and Picasso, a couple of Ronn's favorite modern artists.

Stay tuned for the results of our adventure, sculpture inspired by Spain.

SOLD! Sculpture Sales from The Laffer

While we love a successful show, at times it is difficult to let go of Ronn's creations. Not only are they magnificent and profound they are also a personal sample of his self-expression. Yes, I know I am biased and, I might mention, Spry and Giaco are two of my personal favorites from his body of new work. Don't get us wrong, we certainly are excited that five of Ronn's recent creations found new homes.

Spry, Ricci Di Mare, Blossom, Aqueous and Giaco were spoken for at The Laffer Gallery's Renewal which featured works from Ronn and gallery owner, Erik Laffer.

All of these pieces are composed of repurposed steel and glass. Spry, Blossom and Aqueous are specifically fabricated from found objects - also steel.

Glass for several of the Renewal pieces was repurposed from a historic hardware store - turned small department store in Schroon Lake, NY. The use of this glass not only aligned with Ronn's focus on repurposing material and the theme of the show, but also with the store-owner's mission to honor history.

See something you like? Although Ronn's sculptures are all one-of-a-kind, often multiple pieces will have similar aspects. Ronn also commissions artwork that is created with the client's input.

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From top to bottom - left to right:

Spry: free-standing 15" x 3.5" x 3.5"

Ricci Di Mare: wall piece 48" x 10" x 10"

Blossom: free-standing 9" x 3" x 3"

Aqueous: free-standing 14" x 6" x 5.5"

Giaco: free-standing 25.5" x 11.5" x 6"

All photos taken by Stephanie Mattia at The Laffer Gallery in Schuylerville, NY.

Saturday's a Sculpture Day

Saturday June, 29th marks two openings featuring Ronn's sculpture - The annual North Bennington Outdoor Sculpture Show (NBOSS), and the 12th anniversary celebration of The Laffer Gallery. Both are outstanding opportunities for which Ronn and I are most grateful. The downside is not being able to be in two places at once.

NBOSS opens it's 27th year with a reception and party at the Vermont Art Exchange, 48 Main Street, North Bennington, VT on Saturday from 4pm - 8pm. Three locations will host the work of over 50 sculptors. We attended last year's opening which was an excellent outdoor event showcasing sculpture of all kinds. The exhibit's famous tag line "Sculptures, Hotdogs & PBR since 1997" captures the uniqueness of the event which is complete with live music. This year's show will mark the second year Ronn has exhibited at NBOSS. We are disappointed to miss this year's celebration, but are most certainly feeling gratitude for the busy art life. We wish all of the artists at NBOSS a beautiful day.

The Laffer Gallery in Schuylerville, NY celebrates an impressive 12 years this Saturday with the opening of "Renewal" featuring gallery owner Erik Laffer, and our very own Ronn T. Mattia. The best part, and maybe I'm biased, Ronn will unveil brand new sculptures that even I have not seen yet! Join us from 5pm - 8pm at 96 Broad Street in Schuylerville where there will be an opportunity to meet and greet both Ronn and Erik. The openings at The Laffer Gallery never fail to impress.