Featured Artist Ruth Daniels

Ruth Daniels presents her lush Caribbean-inspired portfolio. Visit her website to see more of her paintings.

 

 

 

My life has come full circle. I feel the exuberance of the child within me coupled with a lifetime of artistic expression.

 

 

Recently retired from teaching, the world of creativity has reopened in a new shape, setting the stage for exploration. Thinking back to my childhood, immersed in a home where the beauty of nature was valued and connected to those close to me, I see a pattern of warmth in the colors and shapes around me. Forms of nature have given form to the passion I feel in the natural environment.

 

 

Coupled with the warmth of the sun and the colors of Caribbean flora and fauna, I discovered a passionate connection within which to express my love of nature. Exploring ways to combine what I observe, while making a statement about the importance of preserving what is natural is leading me to think about new paths for this form of self-expression.

 

 

Having been surrounded by children throughout my career in education and now with my six grandchildren, I am constantly reminded of how important it is to be thoughtful, yet spontaneous. I feel the passion for ideas build up within myself, only to burst out in fresh, yet methodical ways that support combining skill with fluidity in my work. Though forms are defined, they are reconfigured to create an image that is vibrant, detailed and reflective of my inner self.

 

 

The rest of the world disappears as the brush and color work together to create a painting. It is as if the ideas come through me, often as a surprise in its evolution. My work is planned in subject, but the image evolves as I draw and then paint. Ideas emerge and components of the image evolve from one another.

 

 

At this juncture in my life as an artist, I am exploring ways to bring my work into other dimensions. I have been quilting my work and having it made into tile murals. I also have taken paintings and cut them up into shapes that are reconfigured into three-dimensional images within a shadow box. As a result of travel and visiting many museums, I am working more with white spaces and deeper color contrasts. I view this process as organic, evolving slowly and taking twists and turns on its path.

 

 

I have learned an extraordinary amount from life experience as well as through the study of art and its impact on people with dyslexia. The detailed forms are the story told, as words shape a book. The story of my work is growing, conscious of the importance of sharing the beauty of our world as a statement for preserving what occurs in nature.