Solitude - Ruth Andre

I am a fan of quiet and solitude. I love people and love being chatty as anyone that knows me knows first hand.  I also love to find a quiet place and solitude. I guess the quiet time is a privilege of sorts,  an added bonus to having good friends and a loving family. The painting today was painted

 on and outing with my friend, Julie Trail, at a local winery in the Shenandoah Valley. 

We hiked along a vineyard trail to find this quite little pond. 

Painting along the pond shore made for, "A Painting Day".

"Solitude" 6x8 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Back Forty

When I was a girl I used to love following my dad around on our small ranch.  As he was heading out the kitchen door he would say, "If anyone needs me I will be in the back 40", meaning the back 40 acres.  He was out of pocket and not to be seen until he headed back in at the end of the day.
 Thinking of my dad made for, 

"A Painting Day".

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"Back Forty" 6x8 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Paintings & Frames

When I send paintings to a gallery I have each painting framed.  I know you can paint on thick canvas covered stretcher bars but I always think paintings have a more finished look when framed.  I ordered a couple of new frames from Custom Tile Frames in Canada.  I was amazed with the beauty of the 1/4 sawn wood and the lovely finish.  The oak Arts & Craft frame came from an artisan, David Eklund, owner of Custom Tile Frames.  David has a beautiful portfolio of frames all available to order online.  The painting below, "Harbor Inlet" has a frame from Custom Tile Frames and I truly love its rich beauty.

My local framer, Jim Ginney in nearby Placerville, California also has a great inventory of frames and I was happily surprised at how the little landscape painting, "The Pond", was enhanced with this Asian influenced black frame.

Each painting has its own personality and style.  Finding the right frame to match and enhance the painting is very important.  Looking at frames has made me think of, "A Painting Day".

"Harbor Inlet" 6x8 inches, oil on canvas, framed - by Ruth Andre

This painting is going to the Segil Fine Art Gallery "Small Works Show" in Monrovia California.

Small Works Show
December 3-December 31, 2011
Reception:  Saturday December 3, 5-7 pm

110 West Lime Avenue

Monrovia, CA

626/358-5563

"The Pond" 6x6-inches, oil on canvas,  framed - by Ruth Andre -Available SOLD

Oak Breeze

Last week I sent 7 paintings off to a new gallery in Park City, Utah.  I will give you the scoop on that in a few days.  Hopefully I will have some photos to share.  Today's painting was also painted while in Sutter Creek last week.  The sun kept hiding behind the clouds so this one gives you the feeling of an almost rainy day, while the other, "Down by the Creek" is filled with sunshine.  The tree leaves and the grasses were all turning from their summer green to varied color of fall.  It was a nice day to be painting plein air and made for, "A Painting Day".

"Oak Breeze" 5x5 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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A Pig Painting Day

I still paint animals though it seems I have gone off the rails lately painting plein air landscapes quite a lot.  It has been good to shake it up a little and paint from life.  The pig portrait commission paintings are completed and will go to the framer tomorrow and then next week they will head to a ranch in Texas.

Let's  hope they make happy homes in Texas!  Painting these weeee ones has made for, 

"A Painting Day".

"Yolanda" 6x6-inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

"Carla" 6x6-inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre

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Memory Painting of Ginger

When I first saw this little filly on the Horse Pals Chat group I was taken with her.  She just seemed to have all you would ever want in a filly.  I did not have the chance to meet Ginger in person but I looked forward to the weekly photo posts from Don and Marijanne, her people family.  While I was away this little one had a  serious accident and had to be put down.  It was and is sad news.  To work through my own sadness I decided to paint Ginger working the brush and paints as a way of saying good-bye.  The painting will be gifted to Marijanne and Don this coming Sunday and I hope it will bring fond memories for them in the years to come.  Meeting Ginger made for, "A Painting Day".

"Ginger" 6x6-inches oil on canvas by Ruth Andre ©
Private Collection

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A few words from Ginger's owners are shown below.



Today we buried a piece of our biggest dream, one that held many hopes and desires... Ginger was like a child, a furry one of course but one who represented an esteemed part of an old breeding that is almost lost. She was everything I ever hoped and dreamed for in fact, she was more than that, when she finally arrived and not on just any day, but on my birthday...


Every breeder dreams of perfection, looks forward to seeing that dream come true and Ginger most certainly exceeded all those expectations. She had a personality that was hard to beat... always ready with a super friendly sweetness for a loving scritching on her butt or her neck. She would put her nuzzle on my cheek when I told her kiss-kiss... during her first trim she fell asleep with her head on Don's shoulder. I could lead her around with just a loose line in any direction away from her dam... not only was she a breeders dream but her disposition was A+++


All of us were very attached to her, we all helped and welcomed her into the world and my grandaughter named her. Last night was one of the hardest I can think of... My oldest granddaughter created a poster for her on facebook and my daughters, Chris and Leanne came out to help me through some tough stuff and grieving/ After they left our tears flowed quite often as we thought about how much that little filly had brought into our lives and how much enjoyment we gleaned from watching her develop and grow. We won't see her into her adult life due to a freak accident but we do know that in the short time she was with us, we were able to touch greatness and the visualization of a dream come true.


Today as Don and Daryl dug the deep hole that her body would rest in, was a hard one for Don especially... many times he would go out in the middle of the night to "check" on her and often during the day as he went about the chores on the ranch he would walk back to where Ginger was with some cookies softened in water for her. When the hole was finished with Ginger in it, we placed some moistened cookies by her side... it was even more heartwrenching that as we covered her little body with the first scoops of dirt, Caje her dam came over to the fence beside her open grave and sent some deep, lonely whinnies into the skies... We will all miss her...

Just Thinking About You & Moses Botkin Challenge

This month Diana Moses Botkin of the Moses Botkin Challenge Group chose for each artist in the challenge to paint a human eye or eyes.  I must say there are some very nice paintings in this challenge.  There are paintings that go way beyond the singular eye and they are so lovely.  As you know I have been away from the studio and it is so good to be back painting.  My painting, "Just Thinking of You",  is a study for a larger work if I ever get the courage to tackle the human form in the future.  The Challenge made for "A Painting Day".

"Just Thinking of You" © 4x4-inches, oil on canvas board by Ruth Andre

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"My Daughter's Eyes" 5x7-inches ©

Robin Cheers

"Eye of the Storm" 3x3.5-inches ©                  

Diana Moses Botkin                                          

"Helen's Eyes" 12x12-inches ©

Suzanne Berry

                                                          

 "Brothers" 8x10-inches © (2 works)

                                                                     Vicki Ross 

                                                    "Lashing Out" 5x5-inches ©
                                                             Sharman Owings

Break in the Clouds

Today was "A Painting Day" for the Moses Botkin Challenge and the painting needs to stay on hold and be posted this coming Sunday.  So I have to keep it hidden away until the whole group posts their paintings.  Please check back in for the new challenge post. I took a look back at a few of my plein air paintings painted in Volcano, California.  Volcano is a small town and  you can see from one end to the other with out getting on your tip toes.  I mean it is a small old Gold Rush town full of old buildings and character.  I was painting at one end of main street under the eaves of an old hotel.  It was a lovely day and what  you would say, perfect.  Then I heard a thunderous sound and saw a group of motorcyclists coming up the road,  parking just a few feet from where I was painting.  It was quite a group to see in their black leathers.  They were in for lunch at one of the restaurants on the boulevard.  It was, "A Painting Day".

"Break in the Clouds" 8x10-inches, oil on canvas Sold

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