Ruthanne Smith
"Creating art is my key to the secret garden, my way down the rabbit
hole, my looking glass.
It started in early childhood -- a form of escapism from the pain, at
the age of five, of having lost a father, brother and grandmother all
within a year. From the beginning the process of transforming a blank
sheet of paper or canvas has struck me as magical and comforting. And,
over the years, that magical process has had its way with me, leading
me from hobby to professional artist and graphic designer. It fills me
with a sense of accomplishment and integrity, and has proven a most
amenable and peaceful vehicle for translating inner vision to outer
reality.
I create art and graphic design from the inside out. Though I work
quite deliberately, consciously employing both traditional and
innovative techniques, my unconscious is the undisputed project
manager.
The concrete, repetitive nature of this work frees my imagination and
provides many opportunities for happy accident and grace to influence
the finished product.
Recently I discovered some childhood drawings: simple, crayoned
sketches that resonate deeply within my current work. Inspired and
invigorated by a renewed sense of continuity, and awed by the mystery
of how creation occurs, I am now using richly diverse subject matter
and color, exploring many patterns and textures in graphic design as
well as incorporating them into my paintings and other art projects.
Once completed, the work is there for those who wish to contemplate
for themselves the meaning and direction that formed each piece."
Ruthanne Smith
Ruthanne is a professional artist and free-lance graphic designer,
working in the Oklahoma area and surrounding states. She received her
BFA at the University of Central Oklahoma and was a graduate student
in the community counseling program at the University of Oklahoma. She
and her husband, Gary, live in an 80-year-old restored English Tudor
Revival home in the Historical District of Oklahoma City. Their two
dogs, Norm and Dot reside with them.
"Girl With The Faraway Eyes"
"Woody Guthrie"
"German Roof Tops"
