Meet one of Third & Wall’s newest artists, Ruth Fromstein! While currently residing in San Diego, Ruth has had a close relationship with art since picking up a brush and canvas while a child in small-town Wisconsin. Creating has been the only constant in Ruth’s life and an important form of self-expression.
While her Bachelors degree is in Vocal Rehabilitation, it was the various art classes that inspired her. She experimented with drawing, design, art, metals, and weaving. Her art took inspiration from her love of dancing, hiking, backpacking, and nature, imbuing her work with movement, life, and a palate as varied as an expansive field of wildflowers gracing the horizon. Ruth is constantly experimenting with new materials and techniques striving to embody in her work the beauty and excitement of the world she sees around and within herself. Creating images that dance and play in the viewer’s imagination, her abstract paintings have been described as anything from tranquil and relaxing to thrilling and startling. She embraces her brush as her dance partner, and, with it, swings across the canvas in a chorus of control and spontaneity. While Ruth paints with a goal, she is always excited to stumble into new territory as the materials she experiments with lead her in unexpected directions!
What do you first do when you get to the studio in the morning?
I take a deep breath and evaluate what I had done the previous day, looking at my work with fresh eyes.
How many paintings do you work on at a time?
I like to work on multiple paintings at one time, usually at least 4.
Do you have a dream project that you would like to work on?
It would be cool to paint a mural.
If you could paint with anyone, who would it be?
Oh my goodness… who to choose? A master like Monet or Angus Wilson, or a painter I would like to take a class with? How about my incredibly talented friend from high school, Leslie Stewart? I choose them all!
What’s your favorite way of generating ideas and inspiration?
I frequently get inspired when I go hiking. I am influenced by my surroundings as well as my own thoughts and feelings.
How has your art evolved over time?
My work continues to evolve as I experiment with new techniques, colors, and tools. I enjoy learning from other artists who introduce me to new processes then I like to take the information and apply it to my paintings in interesting ways.
What do you like most about your work?
I like that my paintings pull the viewer in and take them on a journey. I enjoy looking at my paintings, and every time I do, I see something different.
I like the variety of work that I create. I am attracted to color, texture and movement.
What is one word that best describes your style?
Only ONE? Contemporary
Is there an idea you would like to explore?
My head is exploding with ideas, however, I need to see if these concepts will successfully translate onto my canvas. Follow along and see what emerges!
“A Moment In Time” “Lady With Big Bun” “Falling Leaves”
What is your favorite time of day to paint?
My mind is fresh in the morning, and I like the natural light that shines through my windows.
Do you ever get “stuck” on a piece? If so what do you do?
Oh, yes! Sometimes I need to tuck a painting away and pull it out another day, or rotate the orientation. Other times, it is best to simply “paint over”.
What is next up on your easel?
I have one of those “tucked away” paintings waiting for fresh inspiration, as well as an abstract landscape and floral.
“Play Date I” “Play Date II” “Play Date III”
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