Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ruth Soller. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ruth, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I began learning in summer art camp with an artist who introduced us to drawing in charcoal, pen and ink, and pastel pencils. She led us to nearby parks to sketch from nature and set up still lifes in her studio for us to draw or paint in watercolor, tempera, or oil. As an adult, I returned to painting after my first son was born and joined sketching and painting groups. I am a lifetime learner and have studied Old Masters, Impressionists, Post Impressionists, Modernists, and Regionalists. My training includes workshops and classes with artists Daniel E. Greene, Johanna Harmon, and Jill Soukup and landscape painters Jane Hunt, Marc Hanson, John Taft, and Michael Untiedt.
I could have sped up my learning if I had spent my teens and twenties dedicated to art and painting practice, however my priorities during this period were education, career, and family. Chronic health issues including fibromyalgia and anxiety are my obstacles to learning more. Perseverance through hardships is the most essential skill to becoming a professional artist. Artists must prepare to be entrepreneurs and to perform the business roles of accounting, advertising, marketing, sales, promotion, inventory control, production, framing, packaging and shipping. Multiple income streams are necessary for even the most successful artists.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am a Colorado oil painter of National Parks and western landscapes. I began exhibiting and selling my paintings while raising two sons and moving around the country with my husband’s Air Force career. My early creative services were watercolor home portraits in Montgomery, AL. After moving to Colorado in 2004, I decided to specialize in oil paintings of National Parks and western landscapes. My art evolved into a contemporary modernist style recognized by intense hues, bold contrasts, and simplified forms. My National Parks series has been exhibited in museum and gallery venues and earned awards in international competitions. I continue to search for new and effective venues for my paintings, and I have participated in 28 solo and feature shows and over 150 juried and invitational exhibitions.
I‘m most proud of private and corporate collections which acquired my paintings including the National Association of Fire Fighters in Washington DC, Good Samaritan Cancer Care Center in Lafayette CO, and Caddell Construction Inc. in Montgomery AL. My paintings are currently for sale in Manhattan Arts International Online Showcase, ADC Gallery in Cincinnati OH, Osmosis Gallery in Niwot CO, and Framed Image in Denver CO. My website RuthSoller.com offers paintings not shown in the above galleries. I am happy to accept commissions for special ordered paintings to compliment your home or office decor.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Determined to practice plein air or outdoor painting on a trip to the Grand Canyon, my husband and I rose at 3:30 am, bundled up and drove to a spot known as Duck-on-a Rock where I set up to paint. It was dark and 30 degrees and my hands were going numb as I premixed colors I thought I would need. I was humbled by the thought that I was attempting my first live sunrise and overwhelmed by the splendor of first light rising above the canyon. I completed two additional plein air paintings along the south rim and eventually sold them to a Chicago hiker I met on location while creating the artworks.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I am gifted in creative communication and have devoted my life to growing my skills in drawing and painting. The communication occurs as the viewer receives my ideas and responds emotionally. I paint magical landscapes which reveal passion through brilliant hues, transform detail into symbolic motifs, and command power by dramatic contrasts. The awe of nature has power to strengthen our health and to increase our happiness. My purpose is to share emotions and meditations which bring healing and joy to our lives. My mission is to place my best artworks in private and corporate collections.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.RuthSoller.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthsoller/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RuthSollerFineArt
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthsoller/
Image Credits
Ruth Soller