Ruth McMillin began working as a water media artist in the 1990’s, first studying with teacher and artist Dorcas Moulton, then with John Finger, Mira White, Tara Lyons, Jane Fisher and several other SF Bay Area artists and teachers. Her explorations in water media include subjects such as landscapes, seascapes, florals, portraits, still life and abstracts. Many of her works are full of color, and some are described as expressionistic. Figurative sculpting in clay has become a major focus during the last several years, following in the big footsteps of Monet and Gauguin.
Show venues often include the Blackhawk Gallery in Danville and the aRt Cottage in Concord, and the JLDB Gallery in San Ramon. Her 2D art reflects influences by the works of Cezanne, F. A. Bischoff, Miro, Mondrian, Wachtel, and Sargent. Her love of painting was fueled by early appreciation for the works of Motherwell and Roy DeForest. The artist’s early works were in watercolor, many of which are privately owned or on display in public venues, but McMillin also uses acrylic or oil as a medium for large canvas pieces. More recently, she has been creating works in stained glass, either as hanging pieces or on wood as mosaics, and pastel paintings are also being explored. Working in ceramic stoneware, her 3D figurative art is largely influenced by Rodin, Cezanne and other works shown at the museums in LA and SF.
Artist’s Statement
I spent many hours as a child exploring the land and meeting the people and animals around our house in Morocco. It seemed a fairly barren landscape at first glance, but to someone who was only four feet tall, the hillocks and bushes were quite large enough, and the various plants, animals, insects, and snakes were quite entertaining. I learned to sit quietly at the break of dawn on a hillock to await the dancing baby rabbits (called “kittens”) in the soft grassy spring. Somehow the beauty, wonder and freedom of those early years returned to my life with the discovery of painting, initially in watercolor, then again as I began to experiment with acrylic and clay. Wonder, expectation, joy, excitement, gratefulness, poignancy, deep sadness, and an abiding interest in exploration are catalysts for my artworks.
