Athens Banner Herald: Marquee, September 18, 2008

 

In search of a new palette

Artist finds inspiration in the greens of Georgia

By Julie Phillips

 

            Watkinsville artist Joe Ruiz spent his formative years learning the ins and outs of color and light on the West Coast. There, the sky opens up in huge vistas; he could see for miles. Sonoma County, Calif., was the backdrop for his palette.

That beauty moved him to take his brush from figurative work to landscapes, as his eye traced the curves of a mountain the same way it did the curves of a figure.

"I found that a lot of the hillsides were more barren and sculpture-like, almost like a figure under a cloth," he says. There weren't many trees in the valleys; "maybe a single oak on the hip of a hill."

In Georgia, it was a new story, a new palette. Trees are abundant, and so are the greens.

"I didn't know how to use green when I came (here)," he says. "Everything is bright green, their must 12 to 15, 20 shades of green," he says. "It took me a year and a half just to figure out how to use it."

He compares the undertones of Georgia's green to a spice, something like cumin. He mixes it into his greens by way of raw sienna. He says he's also had to learn to really look to find his inspiration.

"In California, the landscape is more accessible; it's iconic almost, you paint something and people recognize it. But here in Georgia everything looks similar, so you have to find just the right moment, the right season."

He's right; a sprawling field dotted with giant round hay bales can look like any other we might pass. But Ruiz's paintings nonetheless provide these spots the "here-ness" our eyes recognize. These are our vistas unmistakable fields in Oconee, the glassy lake at Sandy Creek.

His photo-realist offerings stop you in their authenticity, their reverence. Light seems to radiate from them, as though you're standing in the presence of a window rather than a painting.

Ruiz, who's executive director at the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation, says he's happy with his move. Watkinsville might seem an unlikely landing for a Californian, but he says it was a center point between members of his wife's family, and the schools are good. He and his family made the move four and a half years ago; he's been at OCAF for a little more than one year. Athens, he says, provides the requisite cultural fix for a couple that met in San Francisco.

Ruiz studied formally at Santa Barbara Community College and the San Francisco Art Institute. His next interest, he says, is plein air painting; he doesn't paint quickly enough at this point, although he can, if sufficiently inspired, knock out a painting in a few hours.

He's also interested in moving from vista-inspired scapes to more intimate ones; "Regeneration," picturing a wooded passage at Sandy Creek Park, is evidence of that move. Like his others, it too radiates light. His challenge, he says, is painting details, leaves, things that can be tedious to a painter. But he's up for it.

"I'm always learning," he says.

 

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Southern Distinction: A Southern Lifestyle Magazine, October 2008

 

Story: Dana C Downs

 

            The bucolic landscapes of Joe M. Ruiz are representative of his love for the natural world around him. The ebb and flow of the colors suggest a world that is very alive within the stillness. Ruiz sees beauty all around him in ordinary things. A grand old oak tree, a faded barn, a red clay road dissolving into a corn field, these are everyday sights that are often overlooked.

Ruiz finds inspiration in these simple country scenes and brings them to artistic fruition in his gorgeous oil paintings. He feels that "one of the purest forms of artistic expression is responding to beauty you see right in front of you. I try to find that beauty and paint it."

Since moving to Oconee County seven years ago, Ruiz has been surrounded by beauty and has found a passion for landscape painting. He was born in Florence, Arizona, and, at age seven, his mother joined the U.S. Air Force. All military families lead a very peripatetic lifestyle, and the Ruiz family was no exception. They moved around a lot; Ruiz went to 13 different schools, but all in all, the experience was a good one. It taught him adaptability, but, at the same time, he longed for a place where he could put down roots.

For seventeen years, Ruiz lived off and on in coastal California and ended up at the San Francisco Art Institute. It was there that he met the love of his life, Tauna.

"I fell head over heels, and when she moved up to Sonoma, I followed her," he said.

Up in the golden hills of wine country, Ruiz began to paint in earnest. The couple was married, and while Tauna worked as a baker making artisan breads, Ruiz became immersed in artistic endeavors. He had always wanted to paint and had always planned to be an artist, but he came from a hardworking ranching and mining family, and art was not considered a viable occupation. Living in the free-spirited, northern California region gave him the validation and encouragement he was looking for.

He was trained to paint figures, but Ruiz felt that the backgrounds were the weakest part of the paintings. He began painting landscapes to help improve this area and found that he really loved it. After the birth of their son, Ronan, the couple felt it was time for a move. Tauna was from Atlanta, so they decided to see what life would be like in North Georgia. They came to Watkinsville and found the good schools and bucolic landscape they were looking for. They also found a thriving art community.

While the transition from hip California to small town Georgia was not without difficulties, the family knew they had made the right decision. They were able to simplify their lives, and the countryside was beautiful and inspiring. Ruiz was thrilled with the amount and caliber of local artists.

"Did you know that between Clarke and Oconee counties there are more artists per capita that anywhere in Georgia?" he noted.

As soon as he arrived in the community, he joined the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF). He enjoyed the camaraderie of the artists and appreciated the support and encouragement of its members. After volunteering for many years, the position of director came open. Ruiz applied and got the job. He was thrilled. He has been the director now for just over a year, and his enthusiasm is unwavering.

"I love my job, I feel like I can do good here," he said. "I get to work with major artists, and I get to educate the public. It's good for my community, and it's good for me."

Together with his Assistant Director Cindy Farley, he is shepherding OCAF into the future. His great managing and organizational skills are put to good use, and he is a big supporter of the educational programs at the center.

Ruiz feels like he has finally achieved balance in his life. After years of traveling, he has found a place to call home and is looking forward to "spreading his roots in Georgia."

Being able to support his family by doing a job he enjoys and feels is worthwhile is icing on the cake.

"Family is the best thing that ever happened to me," he said.

Ruiz comes home to his beautiful wife and son and his three-year-old daughter, Cassidy, and enjoys the simple pleasures of life in Oconee County. He finds wonder in everything around him and responds to that by painting.

"Beauty is right under our noses," Ruiz said. "I want to show that beauty."

The public will have an opportunity to see the beauty of Ruiz's vision at his first one-man show in Georgia. Aurum studio in downtown Athens will be presenting 25 of his latest paintings.

Everything seems to be going right for Joe M. Ruiz, and he is happy to say, 'Tm one of the richest and luckiest men I know."

Rich in spirit and family and artistic talent, and lucky to be living in one of the prettiest places in the world. Joe M. Ruiz is indeed, surrounded by beauty.