Ronald Stephen Riddick was born on September 5, 1952, in Santa Monica, California, son of an art director, whose office was located next to the LA County Art Museum. He studied at Art Center College of Design, LA after which he became a commercial artist. He attended Chouinard's Art Institute, Otis Art Institute, Santa Monica College, Art Center College of Design went to work in a printmaking atelier, then studied with Ukrainian born painter Sergei Bongart in Los Angeles who taught him plein air academic realism. After a trip to Sedona, Arizona and the Southwest, with which he became enchanted, the Riddick family moved to Arizona in 1979 and start specializing in Western imagery. Ronald Riddick was elected to Cowboy Artists of America. Riddick still lives and works east of Tucson. Arizona.