Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Don Ruth. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Don, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
While in college, earning my BA, and majoring in fine arts, my main concern was to be able to contribute to the support of my family. I wasn’t married yet, but knew I wanted to make a living in the arts field. I wasn’t confident enough in my artistic abilities as purely a fine artist, so I took business courses and what was known back then a commercial art (now Graphic Design) courses, which fell into fields like sign making, marketing, advertising, illustration and publishing. I pursued them all and landed in publishing, making magazines, sign making. It wasn’t very creative at first, but it put food on the table. When I arrived in Denver CO and found a job in a large local publishing company, I wormed my way into being the art director of a business magazine where I did illustrations, charts, portraits, and maps, as well as producing the magazine. This launched my career in trade magazines. I also did work on the side or freelance work, mostly as a graphic artist so that I had a full-time job and freelance work. I stayed in publishing for a long time, but when that went away, I went back to my roots, being a fine artist as a painter and have gotten into the art festival arena, selling paintings at festivals and doing commission work. I still do a few graphic design gigs.
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.
During college I spent a lot of time doing watercolor paintings. I, of course, had to explore other mediums, watercolor was my love. As a graphic designer, I became proficient in Photoshop and did many illustrations for the magazine using Photoshop. This fulfilled my creative side for many years. But when the publishing part of my life came to an end, I needed to stay creative and pick up painting again in 2017. I had a full time job that was not in the art world, but was/is in the retail world. I was painting on weekends. People I worked with would lose a relative or pet and I began painting pictures of either the lost loved one or of scenery for them as something to remember the lost one from their life. During this time, I was preparing for a family reunion and I either volunteered or was assigned to paint memorial rocks for the people in my family that had died over the years–there was 35 of them. I got smooth river rocks and started painting scenic pictures on the rocks using acrylic paint. I took the 35 rocks to the reunion and displayed them on a table so that all the family members could view the rock related to the one in their family that had passed away. Then, at the end of the reunion, each family could take the rock of the one who passed away. I pondered where my art would lead me and after looking in different fields and seeing how much effort I would need to expend, I decided to get a 10×10 tent and to try to sell painting (and rocks) at art festivals. Then COVID hit and I had a whole year to do nothing but paint. I was able to enlarge my inventory–I don’t sell prints, only originals. My first couple shows after COVID were not very successful, but then I eventually found a network or two that I could become associated with. For me, I started to make some money and became very busy doing commissions paintings of people, pets, cars and landscapes, This year I have started to branch out into larger festivals that have estimated attendees in the 30,000 to 50,000 range. I’m selling paintings and getting commissions and keeping very busy. I’m proud of the fact that people need to remember the loved ones (both human and animal) they have lost. My commission work has become a vehicle for people to remember their lost loved ones. Many artists at these shows sell prints, I only sell originals at a reasonable price, which makes it possible for young people with not much income to own original local art.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I’ve been a creative my entire career while in publishing, but I had to grow into it. I thought I was good at magazine layout, or designing logos, but it wasn’t until I worked for a woman in our New York office who forced me to really be creative, to design a story so that someone flipping through the magazine would want to stop and read the article–my design is what is supposed to get the reader stop their flipping and read the story. I can’t say that it worked because no reader of the magazine ever said that the artwork of an article or the design of the feature store made them want to read it. But I received great satisfaction reading the story, coming up with the idea for the art that would serve as a means to lure readers, and then executing the art and the design. It was fun working with illustrators and photographers and then pulling it all together to create a work of art–in my mind–out of a technical story. Within the greater company I worked for, which at the time had many magazines all across the US, I won awards for best cover or feature story design, and best illustration for a story. Then, when I switched to painting, there was again the thrill of painting something that really looked how I wanted it to look. Doing people or animals, or scenery, there are not very many times when I feel my painting scored a 10 out of 10–I’ve painted hundreds of paintings and I can count on one hand those I was really proud of. But when that happens, its a sweet feeling!
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I’m coming to believe in the idea of art for the people. I know that a certain part of society can afford art, and there are various levels of affordability. I’m finding that there are many young people still in school and just starting a career who want to have original, local art, but many artists sell prints for a lower price and then sell the originals for a very high price. My philosophy is I want to have original art at a price the average person who wants art can afford. I therefore paint many painting that are small to medium size at price points that are affordable (probably at the price many artists charge for their prints). The first thing many people who come into my booth at art festivals ask if my art is original–because they just left a booth that was only selling prints). I’m proud to say to them, this is all original. The other question I’m often asked is, “Did you do these?” I can answer with a firm, “Yes, I did these–every one is mine and original.” I find people coming to Denver on vacation or attending a convention and they want to take back with them something to remind them of Colorado–my small scenery paintings allow them to do that. I also have many people who want to remember an event, a person or pet that has passed on and I can offer them a means of remembering the event or the lost one. It gives me a great sense of fulfillment to provide original art that they can put on their walls to remind them of the one their life that brought them joy. That’s my goal and mission as an artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: donruththeworks.com
- Instagram: DonRuth27
Image Credits
All paintings by Don Ruth