We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ruth Walcoff a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ruth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I love being an artist. Recently a friend asked if I wake up each morning looking forward to going into my art room. I can honestly say yes. It is especially exciting when I’m in the midst of creating a piece. An invisible thread pulls me to my art room on a ridiculous frequency to view what I’m working on. Questions run through my mind: am I happy with the design? Do I like the color and pattern selection? Is it conveying the feel of what I’m trying to portray? Usually my questions are answered slowly and sometimes painfully as I progress in my creation. One step forward and at times a few steps back. All part of the process.

Working as an artist has been very fulfilling but perhaps from a monetary perspective not a financially stable choice. There are times that the idea of having a professional position with a company with a stable income and benefits is appealing. However, I would not change my path because my passion is to create works of art that bring me joy and hopefully will do the same for others who appreciate my work.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Ruth Walcoff and I am a textile artist primarily working with fabrics. My artistic journey began while living overseas in New Zealand. Surrounded by beautiful colors, my creations were inspired by the blues and turquoises of the sea and of the many greens from the landscape. Initially I created art quilts which challenged my understanding of traditional quilting exploring composition, light and abstract design. My designs tend to be bold and colorful and at times portray a story that may be loosely interpreted by the viewer.

After returning to Colorado I started working in fabric collage and continue to do so today. I feel like I’m painting with fabric which gives me a bit of freedom in my designs. My collages are colorful and at times very intricate in design again exploring a mix of representational art and abstract design. I am always inspired by my surroundings whether I’m near the sea or close to the mountains. At times my work has whimsical elements that come from my desire to share a little magic.

In addition to creating original works of art I also provide high quality prints and greeting cards from my original designs. The bold colors and the appearance of texture translates well to paper and has been a pleasant surprise.

It has been a very fun journey to create works of art that others admire and appreciate. I have taken on several commissions but I prefer to create collages that will appeal to a variety of viewers. When I do design work for clients I gather information about their interests and come up with a very rough idea of what they may enjoy. From there we communicate about the design and the creative process begins.

My art studio is called Wonderland Textile Art and you can see my designs on my website www.wonderlandtextileart or instagram @wonderlandtextileart

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Many years ago I was asked to do a commission. My client was so excited by my work and stated that she loved everything I do. We discussed where she would be hanging this art and the size it would need to be. There was alot of freedom to create anything with any color as long as it met the size requirements. From there I got to work and created a piece that I believed would be perfect. Once completed the client felt the colors would not work in her home. This was a big lesson for me. I needed to ask more questions and I needed to have a greater understanding of the colors that the client gravitated to and what her home decor was like. It takes a lot of time to come up with a design that is suitable but I plowed forward without getting enough input from my client. I now make sure that my vision is relayed to the client before getting started and that the final design has been approved.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The process of creating an art quilt or a fabric collage is a lengthy adventure. It can take several months to complete a piece of art and sometimes more depending on size. Typically I am working full steam ahead to create work for an upcoming exhibit. Deadlines are a great motivator and with enough time I am usually able to tap into my creative energy and create works of art that I want to share with others.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wonderlandtextileart
• Instagram: @wonderlandtextileart

Image Credits
Hana Lily Caruso – Photographer