A Brush With History
Ralph won his first art contest by designing the official seal for Idaho State University in 1962 during his sophomore year at the Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles.
After graduating from the Art Center, he joined the Marine Corps Air Reserve as a photo-journalist and staff artist while continuing with a Master's Degree program at California State College in Long Beach. As a member of the documentary art staff for the US Air Force since 1967, Ralph has created twenty-one paintings which are on permanent display at the Pentagon, the Air Force Academy, the Air Force Museum, and the Air and Space Museum.
Since starting his career as a professional ski instructor at Sun Valley in 1968, he has created ski instructional drawings and authored articles for Ski and Skiing Magazines, ski racing publications, and the US Ski Team. His art career has ranged in many facets and subjects from Air Force history to documenting ancient Indian traditions and rodeo cowboys.
I’ve always enjoyed viewing nature. Looking at my paintings those qualities become a portion of my diary and memories.
First Security Bank of Idaho in Nampa commissioned Ralph to create three 4' x 6' paintings of World Champion Cowboys, Dean Oliver, Harry Charters, and Shawn Davis. The Snake River Stampede Rodeo Board has commissioned two dynamic rodeo posters of Ty Murray and Butch Small.
Ralph also created a poster for the Cowboy Up Party at the 1996 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. This poster design was also used for the 1997 Dodge Truck National Rodeo circuit.
He has won eleven conservation stamp contests presented by the Idaho Fish & Game Department, including five Archery, five Muzzle Loader, and one Upland Game Bird, which are available in limited edition prints with stamps.
In 1987 his rendition of elk wintering on the National Elk Refuge, near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, was commissioned as a poster to commemorate their 75th Anniversary. This design was also presented to Vice President George Bush at a special ceremony to inaugurate President Ronald Regan's "Take Pride in America" program. The image was later reproduced on a "First Day" issue postcard for the US Postal Service.
The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce has commissioned Ralph to create a poster for the Annual Old West Days Rendezvous conducted in May of each year. The Sawtooth National Recreation Area consisting of the largest designated wilderness outside of Alaska, requested that Ralph design posters commemorating their 20th, 25th, and 30th Anniversaries.
The Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber of Commerce requested number five in a series of posters commemorating 19th-century scenes for the Annual Wagon Days celebrations held each Labor Day. Idaho State University Alumni Association presented Ralph as Guest of Honor at the 1997 Annual Homecoming Banquet for his designing of the official University Seal.
He was also honored with a one-person exhibition at the ISU Transition Gallery for thirty years as an illustrator.
For the past twenty-five years, Ralph has been invested in research of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. With the Bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition at hand, he has created several illustrations of the expedition, as well as conducts lectures for universities, schools, and convention groups on the subject.
Ralph may be commissioned to provide a variety of paintings and drawings for home or office. He will submit samples and estimates of many topics, from portraits to wall-sized murals.