Moon - Summer Sale - Ruth Andre

"Moon"

4"x4" Hand Painted Papers, Wire, Bead on Panel

by Ruth Andre

$75

The other night after all the house lights had been turned off I walked through the house and the full moon was shining through the back French doors. I could look out to the pasture and see the dark shapes of the horses. The night reminded me of other nights being out with the horses when one was sick and needed to be watched. I did not need a flashlight and could be with the horses without being a total intrusion. The moon collage above is a reminder of these beautiful moon filled nights.

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Wishing for a Rain Cloud - Summer Sale - Ruth Andre

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"Wishing for a Rain Cloud"

4"x4" Painted Handmade Papers, Bead, Wire on Panel

by Ruth Andre

As you know I live in the foothills of northern California. The summers are hot and dry with no or very little rain. This summer we have  not  had a single drop of rain and the fields are heavy with dried almost white grasses. I found myself feeling jealous as I spoke on the phone with a favorite aunt in Kentucky. She said the sky is grey and a big storm is coming. I remember living in the mid-west and feeling the hot temperatures drop when a storm came through. The rain was a blessed event and oh how lovely it was to see the earth soak up the falling water. I found myself wishing for a storm cloud.

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Gold Fever - Ruth Andre

"Gold Fever"

6"x6" Mixed Media Collage

by Ruth Andre

"Gold Fever" Collage Close-Up

Today's work is a collage with hand painted papers, gold leaf, metal and stone beads plus wire. It has been exciting adding each element to complete the collage I have been told not to bend, lift or twist to help my back heal so I am working setting down and boy is that making things challenging. My distance to see the work in progress is shortened and it feels like a handicap so I have been standing after each paper or new media is added. I also take smart phone photos to give a distant view. I decided to move the composition to a more fluid mood by adding torn gold leaf and wire that floats above the collage piece. Living in Sutter Creek and seeing the remaining old and forgotten mine hoists along with vintage metal and rock buildings is a reminder of the days when gold was found in the creeks and land in the valley. Sometimes men with metal pans are seen at creek side panning for gold even today. They all hope to find their dream, Gold. 

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Bear Hunter - Ruth Andre

"Bear Hunter"

5"x7" Handprinted Japanese Papers on Board

by Ruth Andre

On Hold

"Bear Hunter"- Bear Fetish

One day our neighbor, Peggy, came to the house and she said she had just seen a bear cross her property following a path next to her home. She first thought it was a man hunched over and then she realized it was indeed a bear. She let it pass but had a good look at the big guy through a window. I have thought of Peggy's story am hopeful if this or another bear pass through I will see him before he sees me. This collage is embellished with an ebony bear fetish that was found on  a trip to Santa Fe. The bead shops in Santa Fe and Taos are quite lovely and once you step in the door there is no leaving without a purchase. I won't say how many beads I brought home but I am happy to report a few of them are finding homes in these new collage pieces. 

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Fish Basket - Ruth Andre

"Fish Basket"

5"x7" Handprinted Handmade Papers on Board

by Ruth Andre

On Hold

Now that I am back to my own studio I have started some new collage pieces feeling very peaceful in the making of them. Setting down and cutting shapes and working with color and the papers is so restful but also exhilarating. I liken the work to be a lot of happy accidents making it a serendipitous art form. I do have a plan of sorts when I start but then I let go and let the papers guide me to find my way. The painting is what I see here at home during mid summer the creek starts to recede and small fish are sometimes spotted in the shallow waters. When I look over to watch the fish they scatter to a sheltered hiding place. I am not sure how many collage pieces I will make or for how long I will be making them but for now they  feel like an extension of my oil and cold wax works. 

It has been, "A Painting Day".

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Mindful - Ruth Andre

"Mindful"

6"x6" Japanese Papers and Paint on Arches Paper

by Ruth Andre

$150 - Mounted on Paper

The painting, "Mindful" is a reminder to me to slow down and be mindful of what is important in my life. What can I do to fill it with good deeds and good thoughts. There is such simplicity of making a meal that nourishes and gives pleasure. A simple meal is a way of giving. I have been accused of liking to cook. I wonder how that happened since I never thought of myself as a kitchen diva. In some ways it is true. There are so many ways to give and I need to remember just saying thank-you for the simplest task is usually appreciated. The new works may need their own blog site. I am thinking about adding another site for these Art Collage pieces. I have been thinking about what they mean to me and how my past has played a part in making them. It is as if the quilts my grandmother, aunts and mother made are resurfacing themselves with the collage medium. Being mindful can bring surprises. It has been, "A Painting Day".

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A New Path - Ruth Andre

"Paths"

5.75"x5.75" Japanese Papers - Paint on Arches Paper

by Ruth Andre

$150 - Mounted on Paper

This past week-end my husband and I drove to Mendocino. California for a workshop with Donna Watson. The workshop was just two days and was titled, "Wabi Sabi and the Spirit of Collage". I know you are most likely saying, WHAT? Collage has interested me for quite some time and  when I found Donna Watson's work on her blog and the information for the coming workshop my path was sealed. I really wanted to go the workshop and learn about collage art.

"Wabi-Wabi represents Japanese aesthetics and a Japanese world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is 'imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete".

The workshop was an unique experience. Handmade Japanese papers were painted on day one of the workshop and then assembled on day two. Donna spoke of her experiences and travels within the Japanese culture. I found the workshop educational and inspiring. The collage above, "Paths" was the first work painted and assembled. I loved working with the Japanese papers and found painting them intriguing. Enjoy! It has been, "A Painting Day"

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