I was born and raised in San Francisco and moved to Sonoma County in 1999. As a child I spent many hours drawing superheroes from comic strips (Batman is still my favorite) and in early attempts at oil painting I used housepaints stored in our garage. I eventually graduated to my first real set of oil paints at age 12 and I haven't stopped since. I still have my first painting of the family dog, who I recall was a fairly reluctant sitter.
My formal training in art began when I was a student at the University of San Francisco, which had a cooperative program with the Academy of Art. After receiving my undergraduate degree in Sociology I migrated to the East Coast for graduate school, earning a Masters Degree in Planning from the University of Virginia. Homesick, I returned to California and started a 23-year career in city planning, from which I retired in 2009.
I am now devoting a lot more time to painting and hope to share my art with as many people as I can. I particularly enjoy painting the built environment, including the grittier side of urban life which I think can be quite beautiful. I also love the Southwest and am beginning to truly appreciate the beauty of my adopted home, Sonoma County.
Please visit my site at www.ronbendorff.com and I hope you enjoy what you see! Please feel free to contact me if you would like further info or just want to talk art!