The Valley Floor - Ruth Andre

The road that meanders through the narrow valley floor, follows the Rancheria Creek and is surrounded by mountains and tall trees. It is cow country. Living on the valley floor has made for, "A Painting Day".

"The Valley Floor" 6x6 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre


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Pass On By - Ruth Andre

"Pass On By", 6x12 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre



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Summer Rain - Ruth Andre

Riding horseback with friends in Missouri we would often times find ourselves caught in a summer storm. Each rider usually carried rain gear but no matter how hard we tired by the time we got back to the horse trailers we were wet. It felt good but quite dangerous being out in a lightening storm surrounded by tall trees. One afternoon there were five of us riders huddled together in my trailer tack area having lunch. The unexpected made for a fun day and "A Painting Day".

"Summer Rain" 8x8 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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I Can't Promise You Blue Skies - Ruth Andre

There are no words for today's painting, just memories lurking around the edges. Hope you have had a wonderful week-end. The studio was quiet today with just a bit of puttering and painting another color study that made for, 

"A Painting Day".

"I Can't Promise You Blue Skies" 6x6 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Vanishing Point - Ruth Andre

I have a large canvas toned ready to paint in my studio. I have been trying to decide what to paint on a grander scale and gathering larger palette knives and buying large tubes of paint to tackle the project. The top photo above is a cropped version of today's painting, "Vanishing Point". I used PhotoFunia to set up the image. You can see the larger image is quite dynamic and it has given me added courage to paint a larger work. Thinking big has made for, "A Painting Day".

"Vanishing Point"12x9 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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When the Music Stopped Playing - Ruth Andre

We have all been to events where the music is lively, the wine is being served and good friends are sharing stories. Photos are being taken and there is much laughter, then one couple calls it a night and the rest of the group starts saying their good-byes. Once everyone has gone home you can feel the vibration of those once there but they are gone. My childhood home is being sold. I am feeling so many emotions. The vibrations of the past have surrounded me. Feeling melancholy has made for "A Painting Day".

"When the Music Stopped Playing" 6x6 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Summer Oaks - Ruth Andre

With August coming to an end in a few days I thought I would show a small study of three oaks seemingly resting on  the hillside. Finding a bit of shade on these hot, hot days is so welcome. Enjoying summer has made for, "A Painting Day".

"Summer Oaks" 5x5 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Do! - Ruth Andre

It was a busy day doing errands and meeting up with Jim Ginney, my framer, to get a few more paintings ready so I can ship them tomorrow. The photo above says volumes on how I feel most of the time. What may appear to be easy for someone just may not be and to get up and get the task done is usually quite an accomplishment. Georgia O'Keeffe was an extraordinary woman and artist of her time. I love her quote above.

"I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life - and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do" ~ Gerogia O'Keeffe

I am thinking of, "A Painting Day".
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Scenic Route - Ruth Andre

After my painting, "Road Trip" I decided to paint one more in this horizontal format. I am calling this painting, "Scenic Route". The top image is a close up cropped view of the painting so you can see the palette knife work and the bottom images is the entire painting. Revisiting, "Road Trip", made for, "A Painting Day".

"Scenic Route" 8x24 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Up Country - Ruth Andre

I was raised on a ranch in southern California and then moved as an adult to Los Angeles. It was a huge move and one I never felt comfortable with for many reasons. Though I think everyone thought I was just fine in the Los Angeles scene as they say, I always felt like an outsider, not wanting to fit into the swirl of humanity and the concrete and steel that surrounds one as you travel the city. I am much more at home in a rural setting. As I look out my front door there is nothing there but a small road that buffers the mountain side. The pines and oaks abound giving ample room for wildlife. This morning as I walked to the studio there were six wild turkeys in the yard and each night the deer find their way to the horse pasture to graze. It all seems so serene and it is. Just a few miles away are towns called Pioneer and Pine Grove and they are thick with evergreen trees and mountains that shimmer with greys and greens of rocks and foliage. On the valley floor the fauna changes from gold to rust as the season changes from summer to fall. Living near Up Country has made for, "A Painting Day".

"Up Country" 6x6 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Touch of Fall - Ruth Andre

With each season we settle in and then it seems it does not take long and we are ready for a season's change for either warmer or cooler weather. The valley has been very warm where I live and the idea of fall on the horizon sounds just wonderful. Today's painting shows how the green trees of summer show a whisper of change as they settle in for fall. The painted whisper has made for, "A Painting Day".

"Touch of Fall" 12x12 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Hidden In Silence - Ruth Andre

Living in California lets me leave the foothills on occasion and enjoy visiting the beautiful coast. It is always a gift to my senses to feel the sea air and take in the glimmering light of the coastal vistas. There are still places that seem untouched and that is what I wanted to convey with today's painting, "Hidden In Silence". Feeling the sea air made for, "A Painting Day".

"Hidden In Silence" 8x6 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Let the Clouds Drift By - Ruth Andre

The title of the painting today, "Let the Clouds Drift By" says how I feel while out in nature enjoying the glorious landscape. There is so much to see and to feel. I hope you have had time to escape this summer to some quite place and enjoy being close to the land. Feeling the earth's visual bounty has made for, "A Painting Day".

"Let the Clouds Drift By" 6x6 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Morning Light - Ruth Andre

The painting today is painted on a 12x12 inch canvas panel. The canvas size is really lovely to work with as it is big enough to move the paint around easily and yet the painted image feels intimate. I am enjoying studying the Aspen tree forms and their beautiful colors. The "Forest Light " painting has made for, "A Painting Day".

"Forest Light" 12x12 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Road Trip - Ruth Andre

Every summer my mom and dad would load up the car and drive from California to the Mid-West to visit family. I was just two weeks old when I made my debut voyage across country. I loved traveling as a kid and looked forward to every small town and curio shop crossing the western states and then seeing the green trees in Oklahoma and the large rivers as we neared our destination. The painting today is apply titled "Road Trip". You can feel the whirl of the car passing through the country side. The image below is a vignette of the painting to give you a close up view. The traveling spirit made for, "A Painting Day".

"Road Trip" 8x24 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre Sold
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Prairie Places - Ruth Andre

For the past two months I have added Qigong Mediation to my daily schedule. The Qigong movements still my mind and let me relax. It is a gift to myself. The painting today is a glimpse into the quiet, the peacefulness and the feeling of openness that I feel. Feeling compassion for ones self has made for, "A Painting Day".

"Prairie Places" 6x6 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre Sold

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Autumn Light - Ruth Andre

I have wanted to start a new series and call it "Twelve - Twelve by Twelve". The painting today kicks off the new series with thoughts of autumn's colors flowing onto the canvas. Working on "Twelve" made for, "A Painting Day".

"Autumn Light" 12x12 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Awakening - Paintings From the Heart

-Awakening - 

My new BOOK,  "Awakening - Painting From the Heart" is now available on the Blurb.com website. The entire book is ready for viewing and it is also for sale so you can have your very own copy. Looking through the book's pages reminds me of how much I love, "A Painting Day".

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Shadowed River - Ruth Andre

 The painting today was painted on the shore overlooking the Mokelumne River. The trees came right down to the river's edge shadowing the shore and the river for a few feet. The river and the forested mountainside meeting at the shore made for, "A Painting Day".

"Shadowed River" 8x6 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre
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Forest Canopy - Ruth Andre

Today was a plein air painting day with friends, Julie Trail, Bruce Hancock and Howard Rees. We were at the Mokelumne River just 30 minutes from home. The river was gorgeous but I concentrated on the forest canopy and the beautiful greens and blues reflecting from the river's edge. We all had a lot of fun enjoying the rushing river, visiting and painting. It was, "A Painting Day".

"Forest Canopy" 6x6 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Puesta de Sol - Ready to Ship - Ruth Andre

You have read how great my framer has been over the years and how I believe frames make a painting complete. Well, today I went to visit Jim Ginney's studio to pick up my painting, "Puesta de Sol". The painting has found a home with a Kay, a wonderful lady that loves the southwest. It was exciting to see the finished framed painting today and it is now all packed ready to ship. No easy task, I might add. There is one thing about visiting Jim's studio and that is his assistant, Sarah. Sarah has a beautiful face and a rather quick and funny way about her and will give you a run for your money. I asked Sarah if she would hold the painting up for me so I could take an iPhone photo and this is what I got. I call it Naughty & Nice. Sarah usually gets me laughing about something but I did not see photo #2 until arriving home. The things artists have to put up with while out in the real world! As you scroll down the last photo of the group is a picture taken just outside Jim's studio back door. His studio is in the foothills of Placerville and the setting is so serene. Nice to know Jim and Sarah and nice  to have had, "A Painting Day".

Sarah & "Puesta de Sol" painting.

Sarah posing sweetly.

Sarah my good friend.

Jim's studio back yard.