Music B. Ox
Artist: Ron Balerno and Leah Balerno
Sponsor: Pennington Day
Design Statement
“Color directly influences the soul. Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another purposefully, to cause vibrations in the soul.”— Wassily Kandinsky, Concerning the Spiritual in Art
Music and art are two universal languages. Even a casual observer can, at some level, relate to each as a backdrop of common life experiences.
Our ox is decorated with the literal use of images of musical instruments painted in bold colors. Our intent was to marry the use of bright pigments to images, expressing the vibrant colors in music, and to be fun.
We used enamel paints to decorate the ox.
This ox is owned by its sponsor.
About the Artist
Ronald Balerno and his daughter Leah Balerno, both New Jersey natives, have always had an abundance of art and cultural influences in their lives. Ron attended Tyler School of Art majoring in Fine Art and Printmaking. His creative mind and spirit led him to pursue a career in the arts and he is the owner and founder of Aztec Graphics Inc., a regional printing and embroidery company.
Ron is an avid painter and musician and has been a resident of Pennington since 1995. He finds inspiration for his work from his life and nature. This love for the arts was passed down to Leah who also enjoys creating in multiple mediums, such as Clay, Glass, drawing and painting. Leah currently works in commercial real estate, but still finds time for her creative spirit.