Ron Adair was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and grew up in Odessa, Texas. He received his formal training at the Washington University School of Fine Arts at St. Louis, Missouri, and was awarded a B.F.A. degree in 1970. He has been freelancing since 1972 and currently lives in Helena, Alabama with his wife Beth. Ron and Beth have six children.

His illustration credits include five U.S. Postage Stamps; the official oil portrait of Jack Nicklaus for the United States Golf Association; book jacket illustrations for the autobiographies of Roger Staubach and Brooks Robinson as well as the Hall for Fame poster for Mr. Robinson; artwork of John Wayne which Colt Industries used to gold etch into their SAA .45 commemorative for Wayne; sports posters for the Dallas Cowboys and the Texas Rangers, the Oklahoma City bombing painting (commissioned by the FRC) presented to Governor Keating, association and work done for other major national and international clients. Additional clients include the Republican National Committee (portraits of Presidents Reagan and Bush), oil portraits of NFL and Major League athletes for Donruss Baseball Cards, book cover illustrations for Cook Communications Ministries, and International Paper (fifteen portraits of their management team).