Art Is Truth

I’ve been working on new paintings for the Salem Art Fair and getting them framed this week. The painting above is larger than my usual work, which means it is more difficult to frame. I feel like I’ve made a breakthrough though, in that I finally figured out how to cut mat that is oversized on [...]

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Summer is in full swing here… and with it I have become highly distractible. I feel like I’m running in many different directions at top speed. This post is titled in homage to one of the books I’m currently reading: Why I Wake Early, poems by Mary Oliver.  Her work focuses on the small daily [...]

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When I don’t know what to do with my painting, I reach for food. This happens quite frequently, and I think it might have started in a workshop setting. It is natural to step away from one’s painting when it needs to dry for a few minutes, or to gain a fresh perspective… and in [...]

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I’m on my way to Salt Lake City for the Western Federation of Watercolor Society’s Annual Exhibition, but I wanted to share a site with you that is featuring my art and writing today! http://katherinetreffinger.blogspot.com/2010/05/ruth-armitage-art-and-meaning.html Katherine Treffinger has been compiling different responses about what art means to the artists that make it. Each response is unique [...]

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I can’t believe time has gotten away from me for so long. It’s been three weeks since I posted! I’m torn  between trying to catch up in one long post, or dividing this post into shorter, topic specific posts. I guess that would probably be the best way. The past three weeks have been spent: [...]

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Recently at my opening at Riversea Gallery, I tried to make note of some of the questions and comments from the patrons in attendance. One question  I’ve heard before that came up was “What’s with the Birds?”  I guess this is as good a time as any to address that question. I can’t remember a [...]

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  Creative work makes me happy, but the subsequent pauses for rest are all the more painful, for then one begins to think things over. – Hugo Wolf, Composer I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted! Tomorrow will be my opening reception at Riversea Gallery, and I’m both looking forward to seeing [...]

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 I’ve been busy this past week painting, getting photos taken of the new work, planning my framing strategy, writing my artist’s statement, and generally worrying whether my paintings are looking their best. It’s kind of like the frenzy of getting ready to give birth! Amidst all this activity, spring has arrived here on the farm. [...]

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I read an interesting article about discipline the other day… practice really helps! According to a recent study, willpower breeds willpower. People who were following a money management program eventually began to use the same self-discipline in other aspects of their lives: food choices, exercise, etc. This makes total sense to me. The problem is, [...]

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The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. (20th century abstract expressionist painter Hans Hoffman) Getting ready to move is an exercise in getting organized, and I need it badly! People often look at the volunteer activities, teaching, parenting and art that I do and assume that I [...]

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