Artist Ruth / Art Is Truth
Holiday – Oil and Wax Abstract
I wanted a way for visitors to the Street of Dreams to sign up for my email list, and an incentive. So, I decided to run this giveaway on my website. And why limit the giveaway to attendees of the Street of Dreams? I say, anyone can enter!
Stairway to Heaven Oil and Wax
“You can’t look at the top of the staircase and want to be there. You have to look at the step directly ahead of you and ask yourself, “How do I climb that step?” – Patrick Wilson
I wanted to use an s shaped composition to portray a winding route, or stairway. I really love the warm and cool contrasts in this piece. Additionally, the painting came together relatively quickly , which probably makes me love it more!
A Quick Guide to Triptychs
“Undertow” is a new painting intended to form a triptych with two other oil & wax paintings: “Necessary Current” and “Crossover.” After seeing the space where my work will hang during the Street of Dreams, I realized that I would need a third piece to accompany the other two.
Golden Shore – New Abstracted Landscape
“Creativity is like the ocean: sometimes it is an unstoppable wave bursting forth, crashing onto the shore, and overwhelmingly flowing with no hope of restraint; other times it is completely still, lingering aimlessly and endlessly, seemingly devoid of any inspiration.” – Ken Poirot
Thank you Readers
I’m celebrating my 8th blog anniversary with a giveaway! I was looking for something all readers, both artists and collectors, might be able to use. So, I thought, everyone needs to look at a pretty calendar, right? It is just one way to thank you for being readers. Your comments and feedback keep me going!
Art is Soul plus Intent
‘What is art? Art is Soul plus Intent.
Join me and 15 close artist friends for Splash! Watermedia paintings by 16 Northwest artists. First Presbyterian Church, Sunday, June 26th 11:30 a.m.
Limited Palette – Randomly Selected
We've been working with color in my class at Oregon Society of Artists these last few weeks, and a couple of weeks ago, I demonstrated using a limited palette, randomly selected. The idea for this lesson came from a facebook post by fellow artist Aimee Erickson called...
Two Sides – Evolution of an Abstract Painting
Two sides of the coin, two sides of the canyon, two sides of the story - what does this title refer to? I'd prefer not to answer. Maybe it refers to all of the above and more... two sides to my personality, two sides of my artistic temperament. I had a difficult time...
Time is a River
"Time is a river that sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire." - Jorge Luis Borges This painting was already posted earlier under the title "Necessary Exile." As I...
Watercolor Society of Oregon 50th Anniversary
Happy 50th Anniversary to the Watercolor Society of Oregon This past weekend I spent three heavenly days at the Watercolor Society of Oregon's 50th Anniversary. The exhibition and convention were held at the Oregon Garden Resort in beautiful Silverton, Oregon. Set in...
My Art Means Something
My Art Means.... Talking about what art means can be a slippery business. Each work of art has two lives: a public life and a private life. When an artist puts the work out for public viewing, whether online or in person, the work automatically gains the meanings that...
The Best Compliment for an Artist
I received the best compliment for an artist this morning. A friend was visiting the farm to do a photoshoot with our new lambs, and had not seen my studio before
Portland 5 at Oregon State Memorial Union
Portland 5 Art Exhibit opens at Oregon State University I'm honored to be included in this contemporary exhibit at the Memorial Union Concourse Gallery. I am an alumna of Oregon...
Santa Barbara Getaway
Q: What's better in mid-winter than a Santa Barbara Getaway? A: An Art Workshop Getaway in Santa Barbara! I just returned from 10 fun-filled days, painting in Santa Barbara. The first week was devoted to a wonderful workshop with master artist, Skip Lawrence. It has...
Salon Style
Salon Style Can Refer to Hanging Art, or Hanging Out with Artists I love receiving newsletters from the web aggregator Houzz. I get ideas for everything from wall colors to hanging artwork. A recent newsletter had this wonderful tutorial on how to hang paintings and...
Necessary Exile
Necessary Exile - New Abstract Water-media Painting I have a new abstract work, fresh from the studio, to share. It was a long process to birth this painting, over a month and a half. I attribute that to the difficulty of re-entering the studio after a break...
Believe in Your Work – 10 Keys to Choosing What to Enter
Do you believe in your work? I've been asked to write about "Night Walk", a painting that recently made the cut into the American Watercolor Society's International Exhibition in New York City. A bit of background for the un-initiated: in an international,...
The New Year’s Potential – Setting Goals
The New Year always gives me a feeling of great potential. I spend time going over the past year's accomplishments and deficits and setting goals for the coming months. This weekend we woke to a blanket of white over everything. It makes the land look fresh,...
Sculpt to learn Facial Anatomy
Last week in my class at Oregon Society of Artists, several painters were having trouble learning facial anatomy. I did a quick, impromptu lesson on painting facial features, challenging each artist to paint the face in different ways: simply, realistically, with exaggeration, with different skin tones, combining painting with drawing etc.
One thing that I forgot to mention to them is how much sculpting a face can help painters to learn to create features. It really helps one to understand the construction of a head in 3 dimensions!
Big 500 Art Show and Sale
The Big 500 Drill-Down Two artists' receptions - guaranteed great people watching! 1st - Saturday, December 12th, 2 - 9 pm and 2nd Reception - Saturday, December 19th, 5 - 9 pm People's Art of Portland, 3rd floor, Pioneer Place Mall 700 SW 5th Ave, Suite 4005,...
