Ruth McMillin

www.artworkarchive.com/profile/ruth-mcmillin
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.
Often, her artwork recalls events from her life. Her son, her pets, her garden and her cooking have all been subjects. In some of her work one can see the influence of the works of Cezanne, F. A. Bischoff, and Sargent. Her love of painting was initialized by early appreciation for the works of Motherwell and Roy DeForest. The artist’s early paintings were done in watercolor, many of which are either privately owned or currently on display in public venues, but McMillin also uses acrylic on canvas and paper. In 2016, curiosity led the artist to explore figurative sculpture, using the incredible medium of clay. Recent works have been and are exhibited in the Contra Costa area.
California public venues in the 21st century include Blackhawk Plaza, the Lindsay Dirkx Brown Art Gallery in San Ramon, Forest & Ocean Gallery in Laguna Beach, the Pleasant Hill Central Library and the John Muir Aspen Surgical Center in Walnut Creek, as well as online venues such as DailyBrushWork.com, ArtworkArchive.com, and others available by a Google search. Near the Community Park, Orinda outside art now features her colorful utility box, covered with Violas.


Artist's Statement

I spent many hours as a child exploring the land 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. Wonder, expectation, joy, excitement, gratefulness, poignancy, deep sadness and an abiding interest in exploration are catalysts for my artworks.


California Coast
Vir Aureum
Pond
Sweet Peas