John Ruth Exhibition

"This exhibition is a selection of six of my paintings of Hawke’s Bay landscapes, and two which came as a result of a recent trip to Rakiura (Stewart Island). I take multiple digital photos of subjects that I feel may lead to paintings.

These I later work on in my studio in Hastings. I find that as I work on each painting, I am taken back to the time and place of the location and I try to depict the sense of wonder, exhilaration and the subliminal sensations that our beautiful landscapes can evoke.

Photos act as valuable tools for recording information and I often use a combination of these to reach a final composition, but as the painting develops and comes to life, it is the painting itself that dictates the direction that must be taken. I paint in acrylic on board which can also replicate water colour effects.

Inside this process, I enjoy the repetition of line and brush strokes that create abstract rhythms and patterns which in turn reference life and energy – microcosms and macrocosms." - John Ruth