It wasn't until he sold a few paintings of the family four-legged-kids, that his wife, Buff, said she could no longer part with the paintings and so, once more, Ron found himself looking for inspiration.  He found it next, when taking a trip to the local animal shelter while on vacation in Aspen.  After painting several of the dogs and selling the paintings, he donated a percentage back to the shelter beginning what Ron calls, Art is Going to the Dogs.

He might have remained content painting only shelter dogs, but on September 11, 2001 after taking his morning run, he turned on the TV to see the world change forever.  As he watched the events unfold he saw the story of Sirius, the explosive-detection dog that lost his life in Tower II.  He reached out to David Lim his handler which lead to the painting of Sirius and then on to meeting pet therapy dogs and search and rescue dogs involved in the tragedy.

Since then Ron has painted numerous dogs that have survived insurmountable odds, dogs that devote their lives through their service to humans as well as continuing to portray the beauty of rescued dogs and the much loved family member.

His work has been seen throughout the media world from CNN to Time magazine, collected around the world and honored by various awards.  It is now fair to say that he has accomplished what few artists have; and that is an art movement.  Today artists around the world see his art and are inspired to paint like Burns.  Who could ever have imagined, that looking down into his best friend furever's eyes could have changed his life so drastically as well as the art world.

Burns Points of Interest

Honors
-Ron is the first and only Artist in Residence of The Humane Society of the United States.
The HSUS is the nation's largest and most powerful animal protection organization with
over 10 million members. For several years, his painting of Ollie, The HSUS's poster
dog, has reached millions of readers by gracing the pages of Business Week, Sports
Illustrated, PEOPLE, InStyle and more.

-The mayor of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida proclaimed a Ron Burns Day in appreciation for his
work with homeless animals.

-Ron's Alma Mater, The Ohio State University, bestowed upon him their Professional
Achievement Award in 2005 for all of his notable achievements in the field of fine art.

-As Guest of Honor at the celebration of the Nation's first ever animal district, located in
Dallas, Texas, Ron was presented with a Special Recognition for his philanthropic spirit
and great love for all animals, by Dallas mayor, Tom Leppert.

Philanthropic Work
Through his artwork, Ron has helped raise millions of dollars to benefit non-profits through out the
United States. Here are just a few examples:

-Nationwide - Inspired by Sirius, a dog that lost his life in Twin Towers on 9/11, Ron began
a series of portraits inspired by bomb detection, therapy, and recovery dogs, which have
raised thousands for various search and rescue training organizations, including the HSUS
Disaster Dog Relief Fund.

-Nationwide - The horror of the Michael Vick dog fighting indictment led to Ron's latest
program, Prize, Not Fighter. He partnered with The HSUS in this program to raise funds
for legislation to stop dog fighting. Seen in Time Magazine and promoted by AOL.

-State of Arizona - Ron created the Pet Friendly license plate, raising over $600,000.00 for
spay/neuter programs.

-Jacksonville, FL - In April 2007, the Jacksonville Humane Society burned to the ground,
claiming the lives of almost 100 animals. Touched by this tragedy, Ron painted a portrait of
a survivor, titled, One Lucky Dog, which raises funds to rebuild the shelter. Featured on
the PBS series Animal Attractions.

Media Favorite
- Extreme Make Over-Home Edition received such a strong reaction to Ron's first
appearance on the program that they included him again the following season.

-He has also been featured on Fox News twice earning both stories Emmy Awards
CNN three times, Good Morning America, PBS, The Discovery Channel and has made
numerous appearances on local stations across the U.S.

-Numerous publications that have featured him and his artwork, including Forbes, The San
Francisco Chronicle, TIME Magazine, and the New York Daily News.