Open House This Weekend!

Please Join Me 

Saturday and Sunday

December 2nd and 3rd 
from 12 til 3

17 Fernwood Ave.

Original art and season cards

New works large and small

Take a stroll on the boardwalk and meander up to Fernwood for a visit❣️

Contact Ruth for more information

  Beach Studio Tour 

September 17th,18th

Ruth Elizabeth Hayes

Watercolour, Acrylic.

Mixed media

17  Fernwood Park Ave.

                                             Would love to see you September 17 and 18

                                                                     11 am to 5 pm

 

Ruth Elizabeth Hayes

Beach Studio Tour

September 17th and 18th

11 am-5pm

        The studio tour is returning after the pandemic. It will be great to invite you into my home and gallery again. 

As an artist I didn't stop painting and creating. In one way it felt great in that it was for the pure joy of painting and no other reason. New and different works in watercolour, acrylic and collage have emerged.. The Northern lights have been a challenge and source of inspiration as well as mixed media floral and abstracts. 

It would be so good to see old friends again and meet new ones. 

Studio location: 17 Fernwood Park Ave.

Friday night September 16th --Front Porch Preview 5-8pm

Saturday and Sunday 11 am- 5 pm

shamanstree@gmail.com

www.ruthhayes.ca

                                          Beach Studio Tour Online Show

                                          New Paintings 

                                                         April 30- May 30th

"Evolving Journey"   Watercolour  R. Hayes  $350.

Blue Angel    Ruth Hayes  Watercolour  $350.

     Click on Shamanstree Gallery Page to visit my paintings in Watercolour and Acrylic

 The Beach Studio Tour is returning this year with an online show that is opening April 30th and extended to May 30th to accomodate covid protocol pick up.  If you visit the Beach Studio Tour website you can check out the talented artists of the Beach.  Click an artist that you like and it will take you to the artist's page. That artist's page will have more images and contact information for you to deal with the artist directly. This gives you the advantage of seeing the Beach artists without all the walking. However it is lovely this time of year with all the blossoming trees. Another year!

I will be showing some of my latest work  in watercolour, mixed media and acrylic and I would love to hear from you. The great thing about doing the tour is meeting and talking directly to all the visitors who come by, however this year we can do it by email or phone or zoom.  Sales can be made by cheque, e-transfer, visa and cash. Items can be picked up at end of show or other arrangement.  My email is shamanstree@gmail. com.   Phone is 416-699-8609. I appreciate your support.

The web site for the tour is www.beachstudiotour.ca.

"Summer Flower Pot"  R.Hayes  Watercolour   $210.00

"Joy"  Watercolour - Ruth Hayes  7.5"x11"  $210.00  

                                                           

                                                             Threads of Light

"Threads of Light"    Ruth Hayes   11" x11" Watercolour 
 $350.00  

       Creative spin or is it what drives me to paint?  Another title for the work above might be synchonisity or six degrees of separation.  The work of Piet Mondrian is quite differnt from mine but I have always loved his abstractions and found interesting his statement that the artist is essentially a channel. My images are sometimes ahead of my understanding and this paricular one I have loved but didn't know what to do with it or what it meant.  My life might then mirror or catch up with a painting and its meaning might then be known .  This one had been in my unfinished stack for quite a while as my life continued to unfold and I noticed again and again a wondrous web around me with people and events intertwining and touching in ways I could never have explained.  I still would not try to offer a reason except it is called by different names and many of us have been touched by it at one time or another.  An example might be thinking of a friend from the past and suddenly hearing from them the next day. Other stories are more mindblowing.

     One day I looked at this painting and could see threads of light and dark and colour and knew they connected and sometimes I could glimpse the connection and could be touched by it. I could even name it such as six degrees of separation.  I moved the painting from the unfinished to the finished knowing at the same time that the process would never be finished.

 

 Keep Painting!

 

"Questions"    Mixed Media    15"x 22"   Ruth Hayes    $500.  

      It has certainly been a year to remember!  Isolating, scary, boring, quiet,  but also creative.

No shows, no reason to push to create new work but painting only becasue it is what I do.

A joke I have often found to be true is that for an artist a painting is only finished when a show deadline hits and it has to be framed.  With no deadlines I have a stack of unfinsihed partially explored work, but also old pieces reworked and finished, as well as work finally thrown away in the recycling. 

     I found a way to continue teaching by learning zoom. It's not the same and it has been a challenge but I am getting the hang of it thanks to supportive friends and students. Once again it feels like "We're all in this together" with students and instructors finding a way through the many snags and issues.

As I write this the year is ending and a vaccine is on the way. The new year 2021 promises to be better. Classes will resume in January and hopefully shows and exhibits can once again take place.

Happy Holidays!

                             Pandemic Painting

"Viral Universe"   Watercolour  11"x14 "

 

                                  Heading into September

 Painters, musicians, performers and many artists are struggling to express and connect in this time of covid. Things are improving but 

not back to "normal" by any means.  On a personal note I have found it a time to paint just for the pure pleasure of creating. No shows and no pressure. That has felt strange but oddly freeing. I create therefore I am.  Simple and basic and reminds me of  an early philosophy course covering Descartes..."I think therefore I am".

     Watercolour classes were to resume in September but as schools reopen there seems to be uncertainty around safety again. Rather than cancel as soon as classes start again they  are being postponed until later in the Fall. The classes are socially distanced and maximum five in a class. It is very hard to plan and because of that the class sessions are being reduced to 4 weeks in length instead of six. Again the focus is on creative fun and developing skills.  It is important to me to keep everyone safe. Check out my class page for more details. 

My web site gallery has some new paintings and feel free to call me with any questions or to arrange a private viewing or class.

National Arts Drive June 20th
RAW Drive by Art Exhibit

4pm-7pm

Location Ruth E. Hayes
17 Fernwood Park Ave.

I will be part of the drive by, walk by, National Arts Drive.
This Saturday, June 20th- go for a walk in the Beach and throughout Toronto and see some art.
Art will be displayed by participating artists on frontporch,
yard, driveway whatever. No contact, just enjoy the art.

                      

Painting in Isolation

      How often have creative types wished for a time of isolation with no distractions and only endless days to paint, write, or compose?   It is also said to be careful of what you wish in case it manifests.  Alone with time to do nothing but paint I found myself as human as anyone else floating disoriented in a scary new world and glued to news on the TV screen. It took some time before I realized "normal" was not going to return immediately and when it did it would be a "new normal". A bit daunting but over the weeks I adjusted to these new circumstances .
     With most art events cancelled, a population in isolation and a crashed economy it  has been a time for many in the arts to pause and reevaluate.. What motivates me as a human, as a creative being and what emeges from a time that seems collectively to have touched us all?  Respecting my fear I started painting again. I started small and only brought out three small unfinished paintings I thought I could complete each day. Just painting was what mattered. I pulled out unfinished paintings, I threw stuff out, then started new. My space started looking messier and more cluttered. No one to come in and see how chaotic it was and no judgment except my own. My fluffy dog was shedding her winter coat badly but dog groomers were closed. Her fine dog hair floated and collected in corners. Paintings  were piled up on tables and along walls.  Walking into my house from a socially distanced walk one day I noticed that my house looked like a true artist's abode. It felt satisfying. To create in isolation with no feedback of peers, or a public. Interesting.

I soon noticed however there was still the internet and artists were wasting no time reinventing themselves. I'm learning zoom. I'm learning to teach using zoom.  We are social beings,
There are still ways to connect.

I don't know how the "new normal" will develp but being human there is always hope.

Opportunity to Play

"Forest Light "  watercolour    Ruth Hayes

After painting for many years and working in various media I sometimes wonder why I keep returning to watercolour. Certain media seem to have their decade or so of popularity. Oils have always been popular and it is the media I trained in. Watercolours at some point seemed to be the media of choice and I was sucked in. Acrylics, pastel and mixed media have all fascinated me  and I love them all. But I ask why I return to watercolour . I think it is because of the challenges. When I hear comments such as "unforgiving medium"  "you can't make a mistake" or "hard to control" I question whether we're talking about the same medium. I love the surprise, the not knowing what will happen with the paint, the water and perhaps a bit of salt. Mistakes become "opportunities" and the "not knowing " becomes my expanded knowing as I stay with the process.

I offer ongoing classes in watercolour and you are invited to come and play in the new six week series starting in March.

Monday moring classes or Tuesday morinigs March 9th and 10

10 am- 12pm

Fee $140.00

optional materials fee

Thursday evening class 

March 12th

7:15-9:15 pm

For more information phone 416-699-8609

Inspiration

Hibernation vs Inspiration

    I won't even start on what gets me down about long cold winters. It was thus a surprise a couple of mornings ago when I found myself enjoying the beauty of the morning as I walked through soft fluffy snow and bright sunlight. It wasn't even terribly cold as compared to the biting cold of the previous day. One day at a time and some days are good and some aren't. That's life and certainly Canadian winter. Winter is actually a great time to stoke the creative fires, to dream and start new.

A new series of watercolour classes begin January 20th from my home studio in the Beach. Three six week series will be offered.
Monday morning 10 am- 12 pm ,Tuesday 10 am-12 pm and Thursday evening 7:15-9:15 pm.

For more information visit my class page or contact me shamanstree@gmail.com.

Have a great Holiday and Happy New Year!

Colour

Loving the Gold

"September Time"      Watercolour    Ruth Hayes

      Colour!  It pulls me in- seduces me- speaks to me and casts a spell.  Rothko and Van Gogh are two of my favorite artists.   As the summer heat is distilled into yellows, reds and rusty browns it is a challenge to capture it and express it in my work. A single leaf lying on the ground can stop and dazzle me with it's colour and it gets carried back to my studio. How to translate and create from this annual gift of nature becomes my inspiration and challenge. Cadmium yellow, quinacrodone gold, burnt sienna are only a few of the colours that splash and play their way through my paintings during this season. Knowing what comes later I savor the gold and the soft warm light of the Autumn.

   
My latest work in Watercolour, acrylic and mixed media will be on display during the Fall Beach Studio tour October 25th, 26th and 27th. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the tour I am joining the tour this fall even though I usually only join for the Spring show. I hope you will drop by my studio and celebrate Fall, the tour's 25th anniversary and the amazing artists in the the beach. My studio is 17 Fernwood Park Ave.

Finding the time to be creative

Painting Classes for Fall

Sunlight beckons, the breeze in the trees is inviting and cool and I want to be outdoors enjoying the last days of official summer. I also wonder where the time goes as each day ends and I'm aware of what I intended to do and what was actually  accomplished.  Finding the time to do all that should be done, is required to get done and what truly enriches life can be a juggling act. Nurturing a creative life is high in priority but takes effort in today's busy world. Enrolling in a painting class is one way to carve out the time, make friends and just express yourself. With Fall around the corner my new Fall schedule is posted

Below is the schedule of new classes starting soon.

Monday Morning six week session: September 9th 

Tuesday Morning six week session   September 10th

10 am-12 pm

Thursday evening six week session   September 12th

7:15 pm -9:15 pm

Fee $140.00 with optional materials fee of $30.00

No experience necessary.

My approach is create, learn, have fun and express yourself!

Summer Art Camp

Painting Art Camp for Grown-Ups

Summer Painting in Toronto

It's called Art Camp for Grown ups. 

If you missed out on summer camp as a kid or your're still a kid at heart and would love to have a week of creative fun painting indoors or outdoors once again art camp is back. The week of  August 12th art camp is an opportunity to paint every morning from 10 am- 1 pm Monday through Friday. It is offered from my home studio which backs onto parkland and Lake Ontario.  There is the opportunity to paint outdoors or indoors in watercolour or mixed media.

No experience is necessary outside of a sense of fun and curiosity. 

Fee for the week is $225.

Space is limited so register early.

For more information call Ruth 416-699-8609

email  Shamanstree@gmail.com

Working in a Series

Water

 "Rocky Beach"      Watercolour by Ruth Hayes      15"x 21"

 Working in a series is not something that was planned or even thought about a great deal but it seems to be the way I have recently found myself working. Many artists have their phases or periods such as Picasso's "Blue Period" or "Cubism".  For me it has been about living so close to a large body of water and being entranced by it's many variations. One painting won't allow me to express all that I see thus I find myself challenged again and again. The colour, the movement, the light, and the mood are all elements of a series of recent paintings inspired by water. I have tried to go beyond the landscape aspect and find the simplicity of calm, the luminosity of grey sky over grey water, or the joy in kids on a beach. On any particular day noticing new aspects inspires me once again.

    This new series inspired by water and other new works can be seen at the upcoming Beach Studio Tour. The dates are May 3rd, 4th and 5th. The tour is a great way to see a variety of artisans and their studios in the Beach and I would love to see you drop by my location at 17 Fernwood Park Ave. The opening is Friday evening 6-9 pm and runs Saturday 10 am-6 pm and Sunday 11 am-6 pm.

Embracing it All

Playing with Mixed Media 

Ruth Hayes   "New Growth"  Mixed media   $500.

     Working with watercolour over many years it has felt important to learn the  rules and different ways of working with it. There are many ways but watercolour is a transparent medium and it has taught me many lessons and perhaps the greatest has been patience and acceptance.  First washes must be allowed to dry before second washes and glazes are added.  The medium often seems to have a will of its own and I have learned to appreciate the flowing and spontaneous surprises it offers.  However there are many wonderful mediums and what happens when they come together?

     Pastel has always been a love. There are some amazing pens and markers on the market today that add exciting line and marks.  Acyrlic or gouache can cover up mistakes or provide dynamic splashes of colour and intensity. What I have found the most fun is collage.  Some cut up pieces of old paintings create interesting juxtapositions of texture and colour.  Then the challenge is to pull it all  together. These works might be on paper, canvas or board.

 It has been fun embracing all the media and some of these efforts will be in the upcoming Beach Studio Tour May 3rd, 4th and 5th this spring.

In love with colour

Love of Colour

"Evening Light"    Watercolour     R. Hayes   13"x20"   

I love to apply colour like words that shape poems like notes that shape music.

                                                                                              Joan Miro

It's often colour in a painting that will evoke an emotional response to a painting.

Rothko made use of the concept  in his beautiful abstract colour work. The Impressionists used colour and light as a basis for many of their paintings.  It is February and close to Valentine's day and red seems to be the colour of the month. 

 Red or any colour can hold varied meanings for each painting and individual.

Having a training in art therapy I often come across studies or will be asked the meaning of a particular colour. That is so unfair to the colour! To focus on red in honour of valentine's day it is obviously associated with love, romance, and  passion. 

From there it is also life giving, fun, and if you are five a favorite colour.

If I am five I might want the red balloon, the red lollipop and love the red paint.

At thirty five dripping red paint across a painting could find me accused of hidden rage and anger.

Is it in the painter or a projection of the viewer? Red is only red.

As a painter all the colours are unique and the response evoked in each viewer can be different and complex. The painter might put forth one particular meaning but the viewer might find another.

It's time get back to splashing my cadmium red across a white canvas.

I'll let the red speak to me and see what colour it might like next.

Perhaps that's mad or just being an intuitive painter.

Ending and beginning

Ending and Beginning

      At one point in my life winter was to be endured and hated. There are still moments when it is like that do but it helped a lot when I started finding the beauty in it. That can be said of almost anything in life. It helps to find the hidden blessings.  As artists it can be difficult to start a new painting, spoil that white with first marks and also hard to let it go and call it finished. There are jokes that a painting is never finished as long as it is still in the possession of the painter.
    That seems to be what this Holiday season is all about as it celebrates the end of a year, end of the shortest day but welcomes the rebirth of hope and creating anew. May this season bring joy and creative renewal to all aspects of your coming year.

January is when I offer  new classes and workshops. Although it is easy to hibernate for the winter months it is also a time to brave the cold and be awed by the exquisite light on the lake or the beauty of snow. It's fun to just play with colour and paint trusting that something will emerge. My classes are fun, but informative and students are encouraged to explore their own expression using the medium of watercolour and some mixed media. This winter  two morning classes are offered and one Thursday evening session.
Monday morning six week session starts  January 14th at 10 am
Tuesday morning session starts January 15 at 10 am
Thursday Evening six week session starts January 17th at 7:15 pm.

Check my class page for more details.

Check my Gallery page  for paintings for sale. Please contact me any time with questions about paintings or classes  ....shamanstree@gmail.com

My wish is that the New Year is happy and creative and full of happiness for you!

Fall Exhibit of paintings at Essentia

 Painting Exhibition at Essentia

INSPIRED by COLOUR

 Warm vibrant colours in loose, contemporary abstractions and landscapes.

A warm invitation is extended to view recent watercolours and acrylics during the month of November. 

location: Essentia - 2180 Queen St. E. 

An opening reception will be November 8th 

6-8 pm It would be great to see you. 

Essentia is located  on Queen St. East (east of MacLean)

open seven days a week

phone 647-348-0321

email toronto@myessentia.com

website  www,myessentia.com

For more information phone Ruth Hayes 416-699-8609

shamanstree@gmail.com

Fall Painting classes

New Beginnings, New painting Classes

September for many is seen as the start of a new year and if nothing else it heralds a cycle of new learning and a return to familiar routines. With the arrival of Fall new morning watercolour classes on Monday mornings and Tuesday mornings will be offered. as well as Thursday evenings. I have been asked for more day classes and this Fall I am trying it. The classes are six week sessions that are small, relaxed but informative, and with an approach that encourages your own expression and creativity. It's a joy to see returning students and I welcome new ones. No experience is needed.

    Classes Start Monday mornings September 17th, Tuesday September18th at 10 am and a Thursday evening September 20th at 7:15 pm.  Check out my classes page.

Watercolour is a special love of mine but experimenting with other media and incorporating them with watercolour has been a theme this summer. I totally enjoyed watching the wonderful results emerge from students in my summer art camp. Art is a journey and staying open to the creative insights that come is a gift.