Romantic or Impressionist?
Question & Answer Series #32 Was Turner a Romantic or an Impressionist? As a painter who acknowledges Turner as a major influence, what are you? (Please don't say you don't like "labels.") [...]
Blog/News
Accuracy or Artistry?
Question & Answer Series #31 Is it your experience that many people approach a painting expecting something like "authenticity," meaning "accuracy," and miss the artistry that it presents? [...]
Where Is the Line Between Fine Art & Fine Craft?
Question & Answer Series #30 Ruthie, where's the line between fine art and fine craft (e.g., American Craft Council )? When an artist creates in any medium, it's no longer a function of iron, wood, leather, wool or any other guild group. Does it even matter anymore? I know that it matters to craft creators who are fiercely proud of the craft designation. Who else cares and what's the difference? [...]
Abstraction, Yet Again
Question & Answer Series #29 In a way, this question gets us back to the topic of abstract painting. Has anyone ever looked at one of yours and said, "I could have done that"? I know how I'd respond but how about you? [...]
Environmental Influence
Question & Answer Series #28 If you had grown up, say, in the southwest, would you be a different painter? I'm not asking whether your subjects would differ. I'm asking how your environment has influenced you. [...]
It's a Twofer: Painting Size & Substrate Decisions
Question & Answer Series #27 What do you consider when you choose the size of a painting? I happen to have a small Ruthie painting of a red onion that I adore, but I wonder why you chose 6" x 8" or thereabouts, instead of 48" square, or thereabouts. How did you decide what substrate to use in your paintings -- panel, canvas, paper, wood, etc.? What properties are you looking for? [...]
Science & Technology & Painting
Question & Answer Series #26 People new to fine art often assume that art and technology and science aren't related. But we know that Leonardo was a magnificent scientist whose explorations directly influenced his art, and we know that painting en plein air couldn't have materialized until the invention of tube paint (see En Plein Air blog post). Do you know of other developments in science and technology--speaking broadly--that have influenced your painting? [...]
Recent Works
Email: ruthie at ruthiewindsormann.com
