Born in Columbus, Ohio, Ron was a student whose artistic talents were immediately recognized. Throughout high school Ron won several awards and contests, including Best of Show at the Ohio State Governor's Art Show. During this period Ron was invited to attend Saturday art classes at the Columbus College of Art and Design and later received one of the highest scholarships awarded to attend the same school.
Hicks later moved to Denver to continue his education at the Colorado Institute of Art and the Art Students League where he studied with Quang Ho. He worked initially as an illustrator but his heart always belonged to fine art.
After winning Best of Show at the 1994 Art Students League Exhibition, Hicks began painting full time. Since then, his career has escalated and he has become one of America's finest emerging artists.
“You can tell a lot about a person by just one gesture. Capturing that in a painting is one of those things that just happens without my thinking about it,” Hicks said.
He believes the key to his work is his awareness of the subtleties of his surroundings, the effect of light and its movement, color shifts of warm to cool, and how shapes and design occur naturally. Ron continues to create from his studio in Colorado.