My art is influenced by a love of nature, animals, travels, sound and color. In these, I find the inspiration to paint a variety of subject matter which including landscapes, animals, plants and other natural objects. This, in combination with my wide range of styles from the realistic, to the impressionistic, to the completely non-representational allow me to create unique works of art.During my travels I take lots of reference photos which I use as inspiration for future paintings. My primary medium is watercolor and mixed media with a watercolor basis. These mediums give me the freedom and expressive opportunities that work best with my minds eye.Working fulltime in a non-art related field, the spare hours & minutes I have to use the tools " the brush, the paper and the palette " of my inspiration, which allow me to nourish the creative and expressive sides of my personality, are truly cherished!
For many years I was part of noted watercolorist, Gail Bracegirdle’s Watercolor Anarchy group, that paints at Artworks in Trenton, NJ. I also enjoyed painting on location in Trenton, Princeton and surrounding historic areas with Gail and her group during the summer. Now that I live near the Delaware Bay I plan to explore painting the shore and wildlife in this area.Ruth Ann served as President of the Garden State Watercolor Society (GSWS) from 2008 through 2010. The Garden State Watercolor Society is a non-profit organization with the primary goal of encouraging and promoting watercolor painting, while providing educational opportunities for artists and residents in the state of New Jersey.
I grew up outside of Pittsburgh, PA and always loved horses, nature, art and sciences. My mother and grandfather were avid art aficionados and part time artists. During my teenage years I started dabbling in the arts myself. My attention immediately turned towards pen & ink drawings. After all my notebooks were full of doodling's, taking it to the next level just seemed right. It was during this period that I started using watercolors as a wash on my drawings. I was even lucky enough to exhibit some of my work at the local city park shows.But as I grew older I had a rough time deciding whether to pursue a career in art or science. I decided to major in Biology at Pennsylvania State University at University Park but took many art electives including pottery, printing, watercolor and oil painting.
I am a Full Member of the Garden State Watercolor Society and have joined the Delaware Watercolor Society and the Rehoboth Art League. I am a member of the Cape Artist's Gallery, a cooperative gallery in the historic town of Lewes, Delaware.
I have exhibited at annual GSWS Associate member juried show, as well as Artworks, 1860 House, Terhune Orchards, Hopewell Frame Shop, The Gourgaud Gallery in Cranbury, Washington Crossing Visitors Center, Artsbridge Gallery in Lambertville, Wetherill Historic Site in Dayton.My painting " LEAF SKELETONS #2 ", was accepted into the 2007 Garden State Watercolor Society Open Juried show and was given an award! The exhibit was at the Ellarslie City Museum of Trenton, NJ. For more information check the Ellarslie website at http://www.ellarslie.org/.My painting " STORMY MORNING ", juried into the 2006 Mercer County Artist’s Show was selected for a purchase award and is now owned by the Mercer County Cultural & Heritage Commission. In 2004 I received an honorable mention award during an exhibit at the Canal Craft-Frame Shop in Washington Crossing, PA. I have also displayed paintings at La Principessa Restaurant in Kingston, NJ.
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