Joy inspires me. And what could be more joyous than glorious, unrestrained nature?
Uninfluenced by turbulent human constructs—politics, economics, personal relationships—
natural cycles are the pure embodiment of hope. Tender shoots emerge; blossoms dance in
exuberant abandon; pollen-booted bees sup nectar in the evening light; rose hips blaze against
new-fallen snow, and I am compelled to paint.
I express my joy with a designer’s eye, a painterly touch, and bold color in a variety of mediums. I
keep an illustrated field journal of small watercolor sketches, subject ideas, composition plans, and
color notes for larger works.
My acrylic paintings are the result of many layers of transparent glazes, built up slowly to achieve
depth and richness. Most begin with a simple underpainting in complementary colors that serves
as the painting’s foundation. (For example: Rose’s Hips is primarily red hips and green leaves, so
the underpainting is green hips and red leaves.)
When working in watercolors, I prefer nontraditional surfaces such as Smooth Clayboard, which
allows me to overlay a crisp, Notan-esque ink image on top of a watercolor background, then
scratch back to the white clay for accents and highlights. I use this graphic, mixed media technique
to convey messages from the confluence of nature and culture.
Art is my way of seeing, expressing and sharing the joy that I find all around me.
I hope it makes you smile.
Ruthy Porter
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