Gilroy resident and artist Ruthy Porter grew up near Seattle , Washington , in an area – as Ruthy describes it – “ verdant forests nestled between the rugged coast and spectacular North Cascades mountain range .” A decade ago she left her childhood home and came to the Bay Area . As a young child , she spent a lot of time in the woods where she played , built forts , and tree houses and even made tiny cabins for her Barbie dolls . When the weather was wet ( which was often in that part of the country ) Ruthy spent time inside playing with craft items : paper , paint , paste , crayons , old catalogs -- anything that could be “ glued or sewn or tied together .” These things became her indoor playground where her love of creativity began to blossom . By grade school , Ruthy was well on her way to becoming the accomplished artist she is today . In the third grade , she wrote a school report on birds that “ set loose a torrent of drawings and paintings , in which goldfinches and cedar waxwings featured prominently ,” said Ruthy . Her father was partly responsible for influencing and encouraging her to continue on this path . As a highly skilled artisan , he creates custom furniture and cabinetry in her home state . Even at 85 , his craftsmanship is still in high demand . “ While some wonder at his ability and desire to keep working , he claims he has never worked a day in his life . He does what he loves ,” said Ruthy . This mantra , “ do what you love ,” was passed down to Ruthy not only by her dad , but her entire family .
“ Although we are a diverse bunch , representing a broad range of beliefs , interests and lifestyles , a love of nature , an innate desire to create , and a deep respect for one another are woven into our DNA . My role models taught me that doing something you love is more important than how much money it brings in ,” said Ruthy .
She grew serious about pursuing art on more a professional level when she went back to college in her late thirties . She had dabbled in many creative medias including “ wood carving , wood-burning , gourd painting , pastels , colored pencil , block printing , etching , basketweaving ,” and sewing as well . She has sewn everything from “ baby clothes and prom dresses to dolls and a leather Harley seat .” During college 2D art was the one creative outlet that kept calling to her and finally captured her creative spirit .
She had always navigated to acrylics , but soon discovered pastels as well . She ’ s also paints in watercolors for certain projects . Her painting method might seem counterintuitive to some -- using opposing colors to create a base .
“ My acrylic paintings begin with a simple under painting in complementary colors that serves as the painting ’ s foundation--a blue sky begins with orange , and green leaves start out red . I then build layer upon layer of transparent glazes to achieve depth and richness . I keep a field journal of small watercolor sketches , subject ideas ; composition plans , and color notes that fuel my larger works .
Watercolors challenge and intrigue me , especially on 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 .”
Her artistic career took shape when she landed an internship at North Cascades Institute , a nonprofit Environmental Education organization . It was here she managed the adult education program , serving as their graphic designer for about ten years . She developed , implemented and marketed over seventy seminars each year . She taught everything from the life of insects , wildflowers and geology , to cultural arts , painting , and field journaling . She also created their catalogs and marketing materials , and facilitated seminars and conferences .
When she left the Northwest , Ruthy began freelancing . “ I am most proud of the eighteen interpretive signs I designed for a section of the Wild and Scenic Skagit River corridor .” She also wrote “ grants for the Florida Arts and Cultural Enrichment program , a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing experiences in the arts for disadvantaged youth .”
Eventually , her combined interest of nature and art opened the door for educational publishing , including a few years as the design project manager for National Geographic School Publishing . This field allowed Ruthy to continue working in creative endeavors while being involved in education as well .
In 2008 , Ruthy established her own official independent art business : Blue Larkspur Studios . She has shown and marketed her art ever since . Several of her illustrated journals were included in the “ Drawing on Nature , Nature Journal Exhibit , at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science , Albuquerque , NM , a six-month show in 2010 ,” said Ruthy . She has participated in many exhibits including Allied Arts of Whatcom County , Whatcom Art Guild , and Pacific Art League in Palo Alto , Gilroy Gardens Red Barn Art Gallery , and other Bay Area exhibits .
She ’ s also taught art through multi-day seminars at the North Cascades Institute , including two artist retreats , pastel painting , and Illuminated Field Journals , “ which included making mini field journals ( of my own design ) and getting students started working in them with pen and ink and watercolors .” Teaching art journaling classes to local residents is on her radar for the future .
Ruthy spends a lot of time these days doing what she loves . When she isn ’ t developing educational material for the Military ’ s Language Arts Academy in Monterey , you will probably find her sipping a large cup of hot tea while poring over a plethora of designs scattered around her studio as she dreams up her next masterpiece .
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