Born in New York City

Born in New York City, Ron studied at the renowned Pratt Institute. After Pratt he attended the historic Art Students League with the famous teacher Frank J Reilly. Reilly taught drawing, painting, color theory, and educated Ron in what he needed to learn most - the fundamental principles behind creating art.  

From 1976 -1991 Ron was among the premier illustrators, painting several thousand paperback covers, movie art and advertising illustrations. He has won many awards from The Society of Illustrators for the best paperback covers of the year and awards from the Art Directors Club of New York for his magazine and movie illustrations. A small sample of his movie art includes " High Plains Drifter" (a Clint Eastwood film), "Pat Garret and Billy the Kid" (a Sam Peckinpah film), and "Papillon".  

Ron Lesser's career has been one of versatility and change. Though his work has changed with the times and collectors’ tastes, the one constant has been his singular devotion to realism. In the 1990's Ron painted western scenes for galleries in the Southwest. He was represented by galleries in Scottsdale Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California. Creating historic images of the American West came natural to him. 

In 2002 Ron received several commissions from museums, corporations and banks to create Civil War paintings. In four short years he was recognized as one of the top military artists in the U.S. His work has graced the covers of the most prestigious Civil War Publications and has been exhibited at the Gettysburg National Park Museum and the National Civil War Museum, in Harrisburg PA. He is presently represented at the Gettysburg Frame Shop & Gallery. 

In 2013 Ron created a series of sports/action paintings celebrating polo horses and their riders. This dramatic series garnered recognition in three major cover stories in national and international polo publications, Bridgehampton Polo event, and a commission from Teddy Williams, who is one of the world’s best polo players. 

In 2014 Ron created a pop art collection of celebrity paintings based on his successful "Marilyn Monroe" series. This was a dramatic departure from his traditional approach to realism. 

 He is affiliated with a major celebrity and sports marketing and branding company. He has made paintings of Derek Jeter, Mickey Mantle (baseball), Muhammad Ali (boxing), Odell Beckham, Michael Strahan (football), Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson (Basketball), Serena Williams, (tennis), Kelly Ripa (TV Celebrity), and Marilyn Monroe.  

His  "Romantic Fantasy" paintings shows a dramatic departure from anything Ron has done before. The technical expertise, the considered compositions, the exceptional treatment of light are evident in Lesser's series of Romantic Fantasy paintings. The symbiotic relationship of these elements creates imagery of Romanticism and Symbolism. Ron Lesser recreates a dream world where magic and fantasy are part of reality.