Friday, October 5, 2012

Fall Beach Studio Tour

Beach Studio Tour
October 19th , 20th and 21st
Friday 6-9pm
Saturday 10am-6pm
sunday 11am-6pm


You are warmly invited to my home studio for a wine and cheese opening Friday night October 19th. The exhibit and free tour  at my location (17 Fernwood Park) and throughout the 12 other locations continues Saturday and Sunday. 
A variety of new works will be on display. A fairly recent series of mine is inspired by Pine River, a small magical river that runs throughout the Mulmur Hills area that will be affected by the the Mega Quarry. This year coinciding with the weekend of the tour there will be two other events: Soupstock in Woodbine Park and Artists against the MegaQuarry at Essentia on Queen St. A great weekend to have some soup, see some art and enjoy the Fall coulours in the Beach.
The Pine River series of watercolour and acrylics on canvas will be based on my frequent stay in a little cabin owned by a friend, surrounded by trees on the edge of the river. A true artist's retreat that I loved. When I grew tired of water and trees I took a drive and enjoyed the rolling hills and beautiful vistas of the surrounding area.
The inspiration and images stayed with me and influenced my painting through sketches and photos I brought back to my studio. These paintings will be on display with a percentage of the proceeds going towards www.ndact to support efforts to save the water and farmland in this beautiful area.
Along with plein aire paintings will be my usual whimsical mix of flowers, angels, goddesses and abstracted explorations. It would be great to see you.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Meet the Artist and the art


"They're angels now" - a comment I heard more than once around the tragic accident that took the lives of my two beautiful granddaughters. The comment rattled around in my psyche and more than once hit my angry mental response that I didn't care, I just wanted them in physical form that I could see, touch and hug. And of course this all found it's way into my painting and probably has been there all along. Artist's are often terrified of showing their work  because it is so intertwined with their heart and soul and  it feels that way about this show but I felt challenged to do it somehow. Saturday morning September 22nd at Fairlawn Neighbourhood Centre between 9:30-11:30am there will be an exhibit of paintings  "A Question Of Angels". The centre is located at 28 Fairlawn Ave. 5 blocks north of Lawrence, just west of Yonge St.. The paintings explore the questions and like a poem or a strain of music, whisper images that evoke but give no answers. We are human but it is through the arts that we can sometimes touch other realms our logical brains cannot. I feel truly grateful for the wonderful support that has been offered this past year and the people whe make up the Fairlawn Neighbourhood Centre have been terrific. I have taught classes at the centre for many years and feel adopted by the Yonge-Lawrence neighbouthood. I would love to see you if you can make it.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

The Watercolours of Fall



Finding colour harmonies whether subtle or bold and experimenting with what colours work to achieve the results you envision is often the challenge of Fall. It's hard being an artist and not be inspired and challenged by the brilliance of the reds and golds as the leaves change. Achieving a balance within a painting so that more subtle browns and greys support the bright colours and not allow them to overwhelm a piece gives rise to the desire to know more about colour. There are several colour theories and the study and mastery of colour is an ongoing joy. An exploration of colour and how to use them and combine them seems to be an area of  study that comes naturally with the arrival of Fall in my classes.

Fall classes will be starting soon. I run six week sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and they will be starting September 11th and September 13th. The classes are small and my approach to teaching is to inform but also support each student in finding their individual expression. Developing skills are always important and an ongoing endeavor, but equally important is being creative, intuitive, having fun and exploring watercolour as a medium. I welcome beginners and more advanced to bring their imagination and artist child. If you'd like more information please phone or email shamanstree@gmail.com.

   As the breath of light awakens colour
 may the dawn annoint your eyes with wonder"

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Pine River Retreat

The light dances and shimmers on the trees and river and it feels  magical on a warm Summer afternoon. It's quiet and peaceful as I paint , read a book, or stare at the water. This beautiful place is a friend's cabin located on Pine River in the Mulmer Hills area northwest of Toronto. Pine river is one of many small rivers and streams whose existence could be threatened if a large mega-quarry opens in the the surrounding area. It will go far below the existing water table for the area, thus affecting many small rivers and streams, not to mention that it will destroy prime Ontario farm land. Much of toronto's food comes from this area.
There is an effort to bring awareness of the situation to Toronto. Coinciding with the Fall Beach Studio Tour this Sept 19th, 20th, and 21st there will be a "SoupStock" and also an Artist's against the Mega-Quarry art exhibit. Studio Tour artists if they wish will be offering support and aligning with the effort. At my home studio for the weekend I will be donating proceeds from certain paintings to ndact. These paintings will be those specifically inspired by the  beautiful scenery of the affected area. In a year of drought and crop shortages study and thought needs to be given to any mega-Quarry that could so profoundly affect our food and water.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Summer painting classes

Summer is nearly here and some are asking about art classes. Scheduling is hard with all the coming and going we do during this time so I'm trying a couple of different things. One is a Thursday night drop-in for watercolour painting classes during July. If you're free please come with a phone call first. The fee is $25.00 per class which includes materials.

Newfoundland Shore original watercolour painting

If you have a week of free time I'm offering two painting sessions (Summer art camp for grown-ups), one in July and again in August. 
The Dates: 
 July 9th-13th and August 13th-17th 
Monday through Friday morning 9:30am-12:30pm
 This gives more time to immerse yourself in the creative process. The class will have the lake, the beach and my cool backyard if too hot to move.
The fee is $195.00
Please contact me to register.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Art Rocks

The studio Tour was a great success and I feel deeply appreciative to all who came and helped make it an occasion to celebrate art. I was exhausted and took a needed break as gardening and a suddenly lush and overgrown backyard called for attention  Flowers became my paint of choice.
A new little tree also needed attention. There's a story around community that I find so moving. The death of my two grandchildren has left me struggling over the last months but early this spring a memorial tree was planted in the park close to me coordianted by  my neighbours. They even arranged for a dedication of the tree and when asked what I would like I said the girls loved to paint rocks when they came to visit me. At the dedication some young girls on the street surrounded the tree with beautiful rocks they had painted. I can't look at the tree and the amazing rocks without feeling the love and support of a community and also thinking love and beauty continues to unfold and give of itself beyond what ever can be imagined. Thank you.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Beach Studio Tour

Ruth Elizabeth Hayes invites you to
the Beach Studio Tour
May 4th, 5th, and 6th




You're invited to my opening Friday night from 6-9pm
or throughout the weekend

As an artist finding a way to share your work can be difficult.  The Beach Studio Tour is a unique way to show my work along with 21 other artists in 12 different locations. It provides an oportunity to connect with those interested in art, discussing art, seeing my dog or just how artists might live. It is also a process of cooperative hard work with other exhibitors of the tour starting months in advance pulling it together and trying to make it an interesting tour. Being an artist a certain amount of chaos is part of my ongoing existence but I do my best to tidy up, finish and frame half-finished works and convert for the weekend my introverted persona into an extovert. It is exhausting, but I keep doing it because I love the people I meet and the friendships that have formed. I hope to see you during the weekend.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Watercolour Addict

Ruth Elizabeth Hayes

paintings in watercolour and acrylic

ExploreShamanstree Gallery for paintings
check out current class informationand enjoy my web site

'Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
- P. Picasso
Summer Maiden     watercolour

Watercolour Addict
I didn't plan to fall in love. Oil painting was my first love and then there were pastels.
Was watercolour really a serious medium? I was informed that properly preserved and painted on archival paper it is as durable and permanent as anything painted on canvas.
Historically watercolours are often associated with the sketches or studies for larger works. That has fortunately changed in the last century.
   However I seem to have fallen in love with what the paint and the water do on their own. It is an invitation for my child to play, pour, splash and run colour into colour and imagine what will happen. Spontaneous surprises and accidents lead to new discoveries. Can any other medium compare to the transparent luminosity?  My control issues do come up as well as life's big questions. Do I go with the flow or stick with a plan. There are as many approaches as there are humans. My approach seems to be "enjoy the journey".



Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Art with Heart



Ruth Elizabeth Hayes

Welcome to my gallery,
information about classes
and blog site


 
"All I know is that I love it."  That direct emotional connection is often what inspires us to paint and it is often what inspires a purchase of a piece of art. During the past year the Art Gallery of Ontario had a number of paintings by Mark Rothko as part of their exhibit of Abstract Expressionists. I've always been moved by his use of colour and found it interesting to read a quote posted near his work.
I'm interested only in expressing basic human emotions. And the fact that a lot of people break down and cry when confronted with my pictures show that I can communicate these basic human emotions"
February can be a month of winter blahs and it's hard not to miss the commercial red hearts plastered everywhere, but what touches our hearts with beauty, light, or humour?
Colour is a direct connection to feelings. Sunday February 19th explore the use of colour in a one day watercolour workshop. It starts at 10 am and ends at 3:00 pm.