Written by his wife, Julie Woods (known as "that blind woman"), with illustrations by Esplin, the book describes important elements of Esplin’s life — from his childhood in Scotland, to a family exchange that brought him to Dunedin at the age of eight for the first time, his family life with first wife Phyllis and their four daughters and on into later life.
Since falling in love with Woods, and then travelling to Paris in January 2009 for Louis Braille’s 200th birthday celebrations, the couple have been on many overseas trips, visiting the seven wonders of the world and dozens of other countries.
At a combined 80th birthday celebration and exhibition opening on Saturday, Esplin was joined by family and friends to mark his extraordinary feat of visiting 80 countries by land, sea and air in his lifetime.
"I have had a lot of wonderful experiences across my 80 years and visited a lot of amazing places, and have enjoyed commemorating them in my paintings," Esplin said.
"I had been around the world two-and-a-half times on ships before I ever stepped on to a plane, which is incredible to think about, and now I have a pilot’s licence."
The son of Scottish art teacher Tom Esplin, who later became a professor in the University of Otago’s design department, Ron Esplin had a paint brush in his hand from the age of four years.
Educated in Scotland and Dunedin, Esplin studied French and German at the University of Otago — language skills that stood him in good stead during many overseas trips, later returning to study and gaining a BCom.
Esplin became a prominent Dunedin businessman, as owner of Brian Snell Ltd appliance store, and was the president of the Dunedin Merchant’s Association.
He dabbled in painting throughout his career, and made the decision to focus on art after he left Brian Snell in 1981, studying art at King Edward Technical College.
He became a virtually full-time artist, while also doing some marketing consulting work and following his passion for travel.
"There are so many joys with travel — wonderful things happen all the time," Esplin said.
"And I have been able to document so many events and experiences through my paintings."
He keeps a book as a physical record of each painting, with photographs and details included — important skills he passes on to his Dunedin WEA art students.
As a member of the Otago Art Society and Watercolour New Zealand Society, Esplin’s passion for painting remains undimmed, while he is also a busy and active retiree.
So, he is enjoying the opportunity to get some painting done while spending time at the Otago Art Society galleries with his exhibition, which continues until December 22.
