Night Moon - Ruth Andre

"Night Moon"

4"x12" Acrylic on Arches Paper

by Ruth Andre

I thought I would try and work with a very subdued and limited palette on this new painting. I am working on contrast whether it is using just a few colors or many. Getting a dramatic change or accent is important and also one of the hardest things for me to remember at times. It is so easy to stay with a quiet palette and not move on to make a more dramatic painting. I see reasons for doing both but of late I wanted to make a statement punch. I follow several artist's blogs and websites and I have found a few artists that influence me with their strong creative spirit. 

Sheila Vaughan's Blog, REAL ART

Nancy Hillis' Blog and Website

It has been, "A Painting Day".

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Back Gate

"Back Gate"

4"x12" Acrylic on Paper

by Ruth Andre

With fall comes cooler temperatures and the big oak trees start to drop acorns. The wild life find them, eat them and store them for winter. The horses like them too and can become sick with colic eating them so they have to be removed from the pasture. My husband and I have made harvesting acorns a  daily competition. We each have a bucket and pick our way through the wild grass and dropped oak limbs to find the pesky acorns. Actually getting out to the pasture and enjoying the cool fall breezes and the warm sunshine makes for a wonderful outing as silly as it may sound. 

The painting today is an abstract view of the acorn hunt. I read a blog post recently by Nancy Hillis about making "starts" when you paint and not to worry about the finished painting. It is a very freeing way to paint when you say, I will just make a start. The concept is simple but things happen when you try it. Nancy has a wonderful website and blog and offers workshops. She is an artist with many talents. 

It has been, "A Painting Day".

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ArtSpecifier - Interview with Ruth Andre

The link below is my interview with ArtSpecifier. The questions asked took me back a few years to the days when I first started my art career. Being an artist is a way of life and I can see art has been a part of me my whole life. I worked in industries that fed my creative spirit and did my best to have my own art on the side until finally I could paint full time. I hope you enjoy the interview and while visiting ArtSpecifier take a look around. It is a very informative and up to date art site for artists and collectors.

Read Complete Article Here

Passing Rain - Ruth Andre

"Passing Storm"

7"x7" Acrylic on Arches Paper

by Ruth Andre

I think fall arrived today. We had our first rain in many months. The air was cool and the wind was pushing the pasture grasses from side to side. As the rain fell I saw a small flock of wild turkeys down with the horses in the pasture. A few of the young turkeys jumped looking totally surprised. Today's rain must have been their first real shower. It was a wild time had by all.

It was also, "A Painting Day".

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Bows and Arrows

"Bows and Arrows"

12"x12" Acrylic on Arches Paper

by Ruth Andre

Give and Take can sometimes go to ruin and become Bows and Arrows. It is a wild time.

It is also, "A Painting Day".

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Looking Out - Ruth Andre

"Looking Out"

7"x7" Acrylic on Paper

by Ruth Andre

When I went to title this painting the literal part of me thought of the night and light that that comes from the house looking outside to the dark. All that is with us during the day is still there at night but it is hidden away. The other part of me thought  about how we can be seeing out from our own thoughts and seeing the dark side rather than the light. Moving past the dark can sometimes be overwhelming. I have been facing a major change in my life and am working hard to move forward but nothing feels the same. The way I think of my life has changed. I read a book years ago called, "Passages" and I most likely need to review the book since it talked about the many passages a person moves through in life's journey. 

My studio time is limited but I am enjoying painting with acrylic paint on paper. For this painting I loved the fluid paint and how it seems to cheer on spontaneity and working with an abandoned enthusiasm. 

It has been, "A Painting Day".

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White Grasses - Ruth Andre

"White Grasses"

12"x12" Acrylic on Arches Paper

by Ruth Andre

The hills surrounding our valley are covered in white grasses. The view is spectacular and I love the almost white grasses. Today's painting is the first time I have used acrylic sine the 1980s. I started using oils back then and never went back to acrylics until now. The paint is wet and loose and the application is so very different but oh so spontaneous as the paint flows onto the canvas or in this case Arches Paper. Photos below show the landscape view as I drive back into the valley. The hills are low and cattle graze year around. The road continues passing through the valley along the Rancheria Creek and the hills turn into tall mountains covered in pines. 

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New Chicago Road - Sutter Creek

White Grasses Along New Chicago Road

Manzanita - Ruth Andre

"Manzanita"

6"x6" Oil on Canvas Panel

by Ruth Andre

$95

I live in the back country and the native manzanita bushes line the mountainside as we travel the back road to upcountry. Occasionally I see truckloads of cut manzanita being hauled away. It must be going to a wholesaler that may sell to craft outlets or florists. The red bark is beautiful and and the leaf colors are the palette of old California, muted and desert like. Manzanita seems to be quite tolerant of granite and rocky soils  and can survive with little water. The deer leave it alone and that is really saying something since they want to eat everything they can on our small ranch. Last night a momma deer and her twin fawns found the hay wagon and took on loosening the tarp and having a feast. Hay is close to $20 a bale and each of our horses eats one bale a week. When we lived on our farm in Missouri we had a 20 acre fescue pasture just for the horses. Our hay bill was quite low but here in California with only five acres and just two horses the expense shines each year on the tax form. Our accountant reminds of the animal care costs. We do love our horses.

 It has been, "A Painting Day".

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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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Feathers - Summer Sale - Ruth Andre

"Feathers"

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

by Ruth Andre

$75.00 - Summer Sale

Each morning and afternoon the wild turkeys in our neighborhood walk through the horse pasture. There were 11 turkeys this morning. They must sense they are safe here as they browse the ground for bits of hay and grain left by the horses. Our dog, Sadie, pays them no mind and lets them be. I love watching the flock as they position themselves to show who is in charge. The collage today captures the look and colors of wild feathers.

Backyard Vista - Wild Turkeys

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