They say Change is inevitable but Growth is Intentional. I have a few new pieces for Portland Open Studios, getting them framed up this week! Please plan to visit me October 14-15 or 21-22, 2017 from 10-5. My studio is #7 on the tour in Community 1. There are several other great artists showing in our area! You can download the free app with addresses, or the paid phone app that shows 3 images per artist. Here is the link! Or you can purchase the tour book, which also includes a directory of teaching artists. Only $15. I have several available here at the studio. Here is a link for a map to my studio from points North. And this link provides a map to the studio from points South.
This week will be my first try at framing an oversized work myself (Fishing in the Dark – below.) Wish me luck! My least favorite part is placing plexiglass over the mat and painting without getting any dust or specks on it! Difficult! If anyone has any tips or tricks for this, I’m more than willing to listen.
“Fishing in the Dark” Watermedia on TerraSkin, 30″x30″ ©Ruth Armitage
Changing Artwork
I adore this change in the seasons and cooler, crisp fall temperatures here. My mom reminded me that each fall and spring, during the Big CLEAN, her mother would rearrange all the artwork in the house. It is amazing how changing the position of a painting lets you see it with new eyes. I’ve been doing a bit of that myself… getting ready for the Portland Open Studios tour. I think this year I will re-hang work in other rooms of my house too. I’ve had to do that unintentionally, since I robbed our powder room for the Local 14 show last weekend. I didn’t get all my paintings packed up and have to go back for them! OOPS! So I put Orchard’s Edge in the powder room instead of “Autumn Tilling.” I like how it looks!
Complex Vs. Simple
Orchard’s Edge is an homage to this fall weather, the neutrals, and subtle colors of grasses against the backdrop of a dark orchard. I have been thinking about my parents’ farm and what it will look like when the hazelnut trees are grown up. I don’t like to think about how that change will look. But I have to accept it. As a painter, it is difficult to abstract something like an orchard. I chose to represent it as the dark band at the top of the painting. The next band represents grasses, and the bottom area represents water. Attempting a banded composition like this requires an artist to find exciting ways to break up all the stripes and make each one interesting, to hold the viewers eye.
“Orchard’s Edge” Mixed Media on Paper, 15″x22″ ©Ruth Armitage
I have been finding that many viewers prefer a calmer composition like this to the more complicated, active compositions of a painting like “Seismic Shift.” Just like some people prefer seafood and others prefer steak… What is your preference? Do you prefer simple or complex paintings? Leave me a comment.
“Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a joy for all seasons, a possession for all eternity.”
-Oscar Wilde
I like this painting very much and find each of the horizontal bands to be visually interesting, holding my view until my eye is drawn to the next band. The colors are all very soothing, too. I am especially fascinated by the somewhat pearlescent or iridescent creamy white large band. I would love to see a progression of your painting process for this painting!
Thank you Jansi! I didn’t have time to take progression shots on this one- as it developed as a demo in a workshop. I can hardly remember how I did it!
Ruth,
Just saying “hello” from CA!
From my viewpoint, you made a lovely space with “Orchard’s Edge.” I sure agree that abstracting anything is tough but what you said about having one thing (the bands) represent something else (the orchard) makes a great deal of sense to me. Like a personal set of symbols.
I went to the Crocker Museum in Sacramento this week. They have a wonderful selection of AbEx work. Though I love all of it, I found much of it to be too active. I found more peace in the CA Impressionism room. And the Staprans exhibit, which was the reason for my visit, was the happy medium, slightly abstract and very peaceful. So, there is my two cents!
Good luck with the Open Studios. Have a great time!
Your neighbor in CA,
Libby
Hi Libby,
Your thoughtful comment is much appreciated. It does feel good to be this restrained sometimes! And I know viewers do appreciate it. I like both active and restful paintings, depending on my mood. When I make a more active painting, I try to keep my color pretty consistent to minimize the chaos. I’ll have to make notes like you did above on my next museum visit. And I’ll make time to visit the Crocker next time I am in Sacramento!