Interview by Linda Leiva

For Michael Ranucci of Auburn, the journey as an artist has taken him along the path of the classical artists, Dutch Masters, Hudson River School, and the mid to late Renaissance painters.

“The path for me began in high school, when I was very young. I knew I had an interest in art. What was important (to the teachers) at that time was the conceptual, the abstract. They did not care as much about drawing and being true,” he said.

“I grew up just outside of New York City. I’d been to the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art) and I saw the paintings.”

Thinking back on those days, Ranucci assumed that the art of the classical artists was passe, but when he took a drawing class in college, it “re-sparked it for me and the path just continued from there.”

He credits the refinement of his skill from what he learned while attending the New England School of Classical Painting in Hancock, N.H.

“I was lucky, I had a great teacher and learned a lot from studying the classical artists. I was inspired by Rembrandt’s use of light and shadow and the beauty he puts into his paintings,” he said.

“The work of Emile Munier, a French academic in the early 1800s, was very rigid. Often these artists worked on the drawings for two to three years before starting to paint,” he said.

The discipline of working on classical art has shaped his philosophy of his craft today.

“It depends on where you want to be with painting. There are no shortcuts to anything. If you want to do well, you have to put in the time. If I used shortcuts … I’d lose an opportunity to get better,” he said.

Inspired by the technique of the old masters, Ranucci said he tries to paint at least one classical masterpiece a year. Doing so keeps him fresh.

“I learn a lot by doing this. It is something I carry with me to my own paintings. I do a full-sized charcoal drawing first, putting in as much detail as I can and then transfer the drawing to the canvas, often poking pinholes in the drawing and dusting it with charcoal like the masters did,” he said.

Speaking of his relationship with these artists, Ranucci said, “They had the same sensibilities, they cared about aesthetics of light and shadow, the sharp edges, the half tones. They were free as artists, working within the confines of what nature would allow them. Learning how to paint this way is more freeing than anything. Once you learn how, you are free!”

With that freedom, Ranucci paints his own compositions in landscape, portraiture and still life.

When he is not in his studio, Ranucci works in the field of evaluation services for residential properties for banks.

He says of his artwork, “You have to have balance. I have to paint many times a week. If I don’t, I don’t feel right. Somehow I’ve been able to find a balance.”

He also teaches art in classes.

“It’s gratifying to see students come, have exhibits (of their own) and I get something out of it as well,” he said. “It reinforces what I know and have learned because explaining it helps me to become a better artist. It is enjoyable to have artists together. We feed off each other.”

Ranucci’s compulsion for classical art is not to be quenched. He sees talent in his children and knows that they may pursue it some day as well.

To view more of Ranucci’s work, visit www.michaelranucci.com.