Churning Waters - Ruth Andre

"Churning Waters'

12"x12" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

by Ruth Andre

$450.00

Over the week-end rain started falling as the storms made their way through the valley. It rained day and night leaving small waterways through the pastures down to the creek and ponds of water formed along the roadside. The creek is running with a churning force bringing the dust, silt and rocks from the creek bottom to the surface. It is as if the creek is angry and running with a new found freedom pushing its way through the landscape to not only be seen but heard. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Tides - Ruth Andre

"Tides"

10"x10" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

Available with Mat 16"x16"

by Ruth Andre

$350.00

The ocean is beautiful and ever changing. It has its own voice. It sings to us as the tide is constantly moving in and out from shore. If I did not live in a mountain valley I would want to live by the sea. At one time my first view of the day was the ocean and it was always an inspiration and guide for the day. 

It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Framing the Landscape - Ruth Andre

"Always Watching"

6"x6" Oil on Canvas Panel-Framed

by Ruth Andre

Available Here - $250.00

"The Bluff"

6"x8" Oil on Canvas Panel-Framed

by Ruth Andre

Available Here - $250.00

SOLD

The week-end was really busy with a trip to see friends at their ceramic studio sale Then a fun time was had visiting with friends for lunch at our home. There was also a trip to the framer to pick up a few recently framed paintings. When I saw the paintings it made me think how a painting changes as we paint and then when it is completed and finally when the painting has been surrounded with a frame. The frame gives the painting a safe harbor and can be viewed unobstructed from its surroundings. I love the transformation and am enjoying seeing these two paintings finally completed. 

It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Hill Top - Ruth Andre

"Hill Top"

8"x6" Oil on Canvas Panel

by Ruth Andre

SOLD

I set my easel up on the back porch to paint the mountain to the north of our valley property. The mountain has a ribbon of evergreen trees nestled at the very top. As you descend down the mountain there are a few oaks and rock boulders. The land is mostly barren but is good crazing land for cattle and deer. It might be nice to paint a larger canvas and paint the view from the trees all the way down to the creek. The day was cool with gusts of wind but it felt good to be out painting in the quiet of the valley.

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A Painting Day - Early Morning - Ruth Andre

"Early Morning"

4.5"x4.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

12"x12" Mat Included

Challenge Painting

by Ruth Andre

$125.00

The early morning landscape has a spiritualness about it that does not come at any other time of the day. There is a quiet with hushed sounds. The horses nicker quietly as they wait for their grain and hay. The communication is not filled with words as I pat the horses walking in and out of their stalls. They know my moods and I know theirs. It is a lovely way to be knowing that there is more than words, there is quiet. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Creek in Winter - Ruth Andre

"Creek in Winter"

4.5"x4.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

Challenge Painting

by Ruth Andre

$125.00

The "Challenge 100 Paintings" are nearing completion. I need to go back and make sure my count is correct before ringing the bell for celebration. I think I still have two or three more to post before the big day. Painting this series of small works has given me the opportunity to experiment with color and composition as well as finding new ideas and new techniques. 

It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Winter - Ruth Andre

"Winter"

20"x20"x1.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas

by Ruth Andre

$1,200.00

Thanksgiving is a special holiday and my favorite holiday. I love the season's change from summer to fall. The landscape seems to be charged and ready for the winter temperatures. I love seeing the leaves make a comforting bed under the old oak trees. As I walk up the hill in the afternoon I have seen rounded areas nestled in the dried brush and leaves. A deer or wild bobcat may have made a bed for the night. Mornings bring the white cold frost that covers the land leaving a few patches of grass peeking through. Welcome to winter. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Snow Days II - Ruth Andre

"Snow Days II"

4.5"x4.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

12"x12" Mat Included

Challenge Painting

by Ruth Andre

$125.00

The cold front has arrived and it was just 18-degrees here this morning. I know that is not cold for a lot of you out there but I was raised in southern California and anything below 30-degrees is still cold to me. The down jacket and padded cover pants are now ready for wear.

My paintings, "Snow Days I and II" are my interruption of the valley covered in morning frost. Winter is here.  I hope your Thanksgiving Day was a special time filled with good friends and good food. 

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A Painting Day - Snow Days I - Ruth Andre

"Snow Days I"

4.5"x4.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

12"x12" Mat Included

by Ruth Andre

$125.00

Happy Thanksgiving

from

"A Painting Day"

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Paint What You Love - DVD Workshop

A Painting Day - High Tide - Ruth Andre

"High Tide"

16"x8" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

Mats Included

by Ruth Andre

(vertical)

$425.00

(second view - horizontal)

I am reading, "Claude and Camille" by Stephanie Cowell. It is a book about Monet's life in Paris when he was a struggling artist doing his best to sell his paintings. At one point he felt he had to leave the city of Paris and find solace close to the sea. He speaks of how the sound of the waves was always with him. The sea was the inspiration for many of his paintings. When I visit the coastal towns here in California there is a part of me that wants to stay so I can see and feel the beauty of the sea. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Lessons - Ruth Andre

"Lessons"

5.5"x5.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

by Ruth Andre

$125.00

Th painting above is a lesson painting for me. It is small  but not one for the "Challenge 100 Series". The Challenge paintings are rooted in the landscape that I see each day here in the valley. This painting is a step away using a palette knife and thicker paint. I am experimenting with color and shape. 

It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Valley Snow - Ruth Andre

"Valley Snow"

4.5"x4.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

12"x12" Mat Included

Challenge Painting Ninety-Six

by Ruth Andre

$125.00

We are promised a snow storm in the coming week. The news made me think of the holidays and how festive the valley will look when it is white with snow. Fall is passing to winter with each morning bringing frost and colder temperatures. There is so much to be thankful for and I am especially thankful to be living in this very beautiful Sutter Creek Valley. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Here and There - Ruth Andre

Hello, This is a "share" post. I first want to let you know that the "Inspired Painting" DVD and 

"Paper To Paint" DVD are now available as a DVD-Set with a discount. I am also adding a greeting card with envelope for giving as  you like. 

The following image is an art reception video for my friend, Barbara Fracchia. She is a California artist showing her work at the Montserrat Gallery in New York. I am impressed to say the least and very happy for Barbara. A short DVD link is below.

Last but not least I would like to share a new Website-Blog-Store my good friend, Bruce Hancock, has just released to show his beautiful paintings. The new site is lovely as well as his paintings. Bruce, Congratulations!

Both Barbara and Bruce are good friends that I met years ago painting with another good friend, Howard Rees, a very talented artist and art instructor. 

Enjoy!

Inspired Painting DVD-Set $75.00

With Card Included

by Ruth Andre

Barbara Fracchia

Montserrat Gallery New York

Bruce Hancock

Artist

Photo by Bob Engle

A Painting Day - Hidden Gold II - Ruth Andre

"Hidden Gold II"

4.5"x4.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

12"x12" Mat 

Challenge Painting Ninety-Five

by Ruth Andre

$125.00

Here is another painting to celebrate winter and the history for the valley here in Sutter Creek. I am not sure if this painting will be presented as it is shown above or turned to its side in the photo below. I like the strength of composition in both. It has been, "A Painting Day".

"Hidden Gold II"

by Ruth Andre

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A Painting Day - Hidden Gold - Ruth Andre

"Hidden Gold"

4.5"x4.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

12"x12" Mat Available 

Challenge Painting Ninety-Four

by Ruth Andre

$125.00

The valley is surrounded by the remains of the "Gold Rush" era. There once stood an apple orchard that took up several flat acres that extended past our property to the adjacent ranches. It seems the resourceful people that had products to sell to the miners made their fortunes without mining for gold. Men and women came searching for gold from all over the world and they needed supplies and food. An apple might cost at least $1.00 and in those times a dollar was quite a bit of money. The man that cultivated the ground and was able to supply fruits and vegetables had a good income. To this day mining companies are still searching for gold in Sutter Creek with all of the latest technology. There are also old mining sites with the old buildings and mining equipment still in place. As I look out at the cold frosted ground it reminds me of the hidden gold that may still be there to be discovered. It has been, 

"A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Winter's Whisper - Ruth Ande

"Winter's Whisper"

4.5"x4.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

12"x12" Mat Included

Challenge Painting Ninety-Three

by Ruth Andre

$125.00

Baby it is cold outside. I KNOW it is not even cold yet but I am feeling the cooler temperatures this year more than I have in the past. The long spring and summer must have spoiled me.  

I am nearing the end for my Challenge 100 paintings. I will be posting the final works in the next few weeks. Painting the Challenge Series has been a true joy. It has been so good to be able to start a painting and finish a painting in one day. I have been able to reap the feelings of accomplishing a painting in just a few hours. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Seasons-Winter I and II - Ruth Andre

"Seasons-Winter I and II"

Painting Images 16"x8" Diptych - Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

by Ruth Andre

"Seasons-Winter I"

by Ruth Andre

"Seasons-Winter II"

by Ruth Andre

Earlier this week I posted "Seasons-Fall I and II" The painting above, "Seasons-Winter I and II" is the second in the series. This morning mother nature gave me the perfect view for this painting. It was cold and the frost blanketed the land with white. Only a few patches of weeds shown through the frost along with the berry bushes that line the creek. Winter has arrived and it has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Seasons-Fall I-II - Ruth Andre

"Seasons-Fall I-II"

16"x8" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

Each Painting 16"x4"- Diptych

by Ruth Andre

"Seasons Fall-I"

by Ruth Andre

"Seasons Fall-II"

by Ruth Andre

Fall is here and the temperatures have dropped considerably. All that means is I am already feeling cold and am looking to unpack the padded over pants and heavier jackets when heading out the door. I find myself wanting to stay in the kitchen and cook. I have taken on all sorts of new recipes using fall vegetables. Baking sweet treats is also something I enjoy. The best dessert so far has been a Chocolate Chip and Raspberry Cake. I know it sounds so good and it was. Today I got to the studio, warmed it up and started painting. I love fall so I started a "Seasons" series with fall being number one. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Ice Storm - Ruth Andre

"Ice Storm I and II"

Each Painting 4.5"x4.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

Challenge Painting Ninety-One and Ninety-Two

by Ruth Andre

Each Painting - $125

"Ice Storm I"

by Ruth Andre

"Ice Storm II" 

by Ruth Andre

If you have lived where there are ice storms you know their beauty and the hazards they can bring. The trees sparkle and bend with the weight from the ice that showers down on them. The roads are also covered with ice making treachery for drivers. I remember seeing my first ice storm and seeing my fall planted trees bent over to the ground. I also remember the festive light the ice played on each branch of the tree. Burr, it was cold. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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"Morning Frost I and II"

Each Painting is 4.5"x4.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

Challenge Paintings Eighty-Nine and Ninety

by Ruth Andre

Each Painting is $125

"Morning Frost I"

by Ruth Andre

"Morning Frost II"

by Ruth Andre

The temperatures are cooling. The mornings are already crisp and a warm jacket and a good pair of gloves is needed to stay warm. The horses are settling inside their shelter and peak out as I walk to the pasture to feed in the morning. Fall is a special time of year where the land makes ready for winter and a time for rest. It has been, "A Painting Day".  

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A Painting Day - Blue Mist - Ruth Andre

"Blue Mist"

36"x36"x2" Oil and Mixed Media on Panel

by Ruth Andre

I must still be thinking about my recent visit to Fort Bragg. The fog rolling over the dark harbor waters was my early morning view from my balcony perch. A fog horn could be heard in the distance and the sea gulls were alert and ready for the day. The painting has a feeling of quiet that draws me in and lets me think while the mist finds its way. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - River Grass - Ruth Andre

"River Grass"

Triptych

24"x18"x2" Oil and Mixed Media on Panel

by Ruth Andre

I recently started reading the book, "Claude and Camille" by Stephanie Cowell. There was a quote by Claude Monet in the forward of the book that made me think about painting and how some things are just so elusive when trying to paint them and still an artist tries. 

“I have so much fire in me and so many plans.  I always want the impossible.  Take clear water with grass waving at the bottom,  It’s wonderful to look at, but to try to paint it is enough to make one insane.”  Claude Monet

It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Red Moon Series - Ruth Andre

"Red Moon" 

Series of Ten Paintings

Each Painting 12"x12" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

Available Matted

by Ruth Andre

Available with Art Specifier

The "Red Moon" series is an exciting series. I enjoyed painting each piece using the same palette of reds, yellow-green and black. The series was also a test of sorts gathering ten works together that were made as separate works but can be seen as one painting. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Mountainside - Ruth Andre

"Mountainside"

3"x11" Oil and Cold Wax on Paper

by Ruth Andre

Today I wanted to start a series and was one less panel than needed so while I wait for my mail art order I took on a small study. The painting is called, "Mountainside" and the palette is that of the surrounding mountains here in the valley. We had a recent rain and tuffs of green grass are starting to shoot up so it won't be long before the mountains are green once again. Of course that totally depends on Mother Nature and whether we continue to get rain. As you may know California needs rain badly. It is Friday and I hope your week-end is a happy one. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Fort Bragg and Mendocino Paintings - Ruth Andre

For the past few years I have been traveling to Fort Bragg - Mendocino area to paint with friends. We have always had warm sunny days in the past but this trip the weather was quite foggy and cool. I have to say it was still great to be outside painting the beautiful landscape. The paintings below represent the different areas we painted. The first painting, "Call of the Sea" was painted at Mac Kerricher State Park just north of Fort Bragg. The second painting, "Harbor Watch" was painted at the Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg. It was especially cold and windy and the fog was quite thick. I knew I needed to paint and as I looked out I saw mostly grey and then I spied these lovely old cypress trees and set them to canvas. The third and fourth paintings, "The Bluff" and "Always Watching", were painted in Mendocino just across from the little village of shops and restaurants. All and all it was a great trip and a much needed get away. As you can see it has been, "A Painting Day".

"Call of the Sea"

MacKerricher State Park

8"x10" Oil on Panel

by Ruth Andre

Sold

"Harbor Watch"

Noyo Harbor

8"x6" Oil on Panel

by Ruth Andre

$175.00

Sold

"The Bluff"

Mendocino

5"x7" Oil on Panel

by Ruth Andre

$150.00

"Always Watching"

Mendocino

6"x6" Oil on Panel

by Ruth Andre

$150

A Painting Day - Listen To the Rain - Ruth Andre

"Listen To the Rain"

4.5"x4.5" Oil and Cold Wax on Paper

Challenge Painting Eighty-Nine

12"x12" Mat

by Ruth Andre

$125.00

Last week we had a lovely rain. I was in the barn listening to the rain hit the metal roof. The sound was luscious. I am just getting this Challenge Painting posted due to a lot going on lately. I leave for Fort Bragg, California on Tuesday for a week of plein air painting with friends. Packing art supplies and clothes for weather that could be warm or cool or cold is always an adventure. I choose to take layers and make them as light as possible. It will be good to be painting the sea coast with old friends.  If I catch a good painting or two I will be posting them here. Plein air painting stretches the art self and it is always a challenge. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Fall - Ruth Andre

"Fall"

4.5"x4.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

12"x12" Mat

Challenge Painting Eighty-Eight

by Ruth Andre

$125.00

Does everything speed up during Spring and Fall? Fall is here and making for cooler days and giving us a new palette of color to enjoy. I have company coming, paintings that need to be shipped, paintings to be made, a trip to Fort Bragg to plein air paint and two birthdays to celebrate, one being mine. I am hanging on since everything seems to be moving very fast lately. It is after 9:00 pm and I am baking cookies for the coming guests. The painting today really felt good as I put the paint down. I love the colors and the feeling it gives of the 'fall' season. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A Painting Day - Heading Home - Ruth Andre

"Heading Home I and II"

Each Painting 4.5"x4.5" Oil and Mixed Media on Paper

12"x12" Mat Available for Each Painting

Challenge Paintings Eighty-Four and Eighty-Five

by Ruth Andre

$250.00

There is a story that goes along with these paintings but it is not what I normally talk about. Yesterday my husband was up early and headed off for a tractor show and to meet up with some friends. He only stayed at the show for about an hour and he called to say, I am heading home. Then I got a call saying something was wrong with the car and AAA had been called. A few hours later I received another call saying that the tow truck had not arrived and he had made several calls to AAA saying he was still on the side of the road and needed a tow. Another hour passed and I received another call saying the car was loaded and he would be heading home. The next call was to say the tow truck had broken down and they were waiting for help with the repair. The following call was to let me know the repair was completed and he was heading home and I was given directions on where and when to meet up to get him home. My husband said he had a great one hour visit with friends and then it took eight hours to get home that was not so fun. The whole deal was quite an ordeal and we find out tomorrow what is wrong with the car. Oh happy day and, "A Painting Day". 

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