Ruth Armitage
Ruth Armitage lives and works in West Linn, Oregon. A passion for color drives her work, which focuses on abstraction but sometimes includes plein air landscapes. She enjoys vacillating between watercolor, acrylic and oil painting. Her current series explores the cyclical rhythm of the moon. Armitage's bold colors and gestural brushwork convey the fluidity of emotion and movement inherent in the dark hours of the night. In her new work, Armitage delves into the enigmatic interplay between darkness and light, and explores moments of both struggle and serenity.
Each piece, titled from personal experiences and cultural influences, reflects the artist's journey of self-discovery and reflection. Armitage's abstract compositions serve as visual symbols of an emotional landscape and invite viewers to contemplate the unseen forces that shape our innermost thoughts.
Ruth writes: “I crave variety in my process, so very few things are constant. One thing that does remain constant is working from a specific idea. I work in a series and keep notes on different facets of that idea. Those notes often become the title of the painting.
Beginning with the title, I focus on either a warm or cool palette to begin, making color choices intuitively. I sometimes finish with calligraphic line that begins as letterforms and sometimes evolves into pattern. Often a work demands more than one rendition to arrive at its deepest meaning. I am not simply wandering; rather, I’m focused in my exploration, keeping a destination in mind.”
Ruth is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society and the Northwest Watercolor Society among other prestigious groups. She is a Past President and Board Member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon and her work has earned awards in many national exhibitions, most recently in the Transparent Watercolor Society of America. You may have seen her profiled on OPB’s Oregon Art Beat, or in one of a number of national art magazines featuring her work.
Ruth is honored to serve as a juror for the 2023 National Watercolor Society’s Open Exhibition and enjoys sharing her process by teaching small workshops domestically and abroad; watching lightbulbs come on in her student’s eyes.
Website: https://rutharmitage.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/artistrutharmitage/
June 2022 Waterstone Exhibition: Tribute
Ruth Armitage, "Time is a River", water media, 40" x 30", $1950
Ruth Armitage, "Year of the Rabbit", watermedia, 28" x 22", $950
Ruth Armitage, "Swing Thing", water media, 28" x 22", $950
Ruth Armitage, "Jump", water media, 38" x 30", SOLD
Ruth Armitage, "Wildlife", oil on panel, 30" x 30", $2300
Ruth Armitage, "Tracking the Past", acrylic, 22" x 28", $950
Ruth Armitage, "Silvery Slough", oil on panel, 24" x 24", SOLD
Ruth Armitage, "Flower Power", water media, 16" x 20", SOLD