A Painterly Story

Loves Were Phantoms by Ruth Wartman

Ruth Wartman Q&A

Ruth Wartman, a local artist, took time out of her schedule to talk about her art, her love of birds, and her artistic process.

Wartman's artwork evolves through a process of adding and breaking down layers. By doing so she is able to explore many themes and concepts within her artwork.

 Can you talk about your artwork and your artistic methods?

My artwork is mainly painting. I've always been really interested in painting as layers. That even when you wipe out a portion, it's still somewhat there. It's kind of a catch-22, that you can't really erase mistakes or a change in direction, but the buildup of those mistakes/changes winds up being the painting. I'm always wiping out bits, repainting large sections, and the painting builds. But it mostly comes from being dissatisfied with what's there.

While working on your artwork what themes, ideas, or concepts are you exploring in your artwork?

I'm always trying to get to the core heart of the matter in my work. I'm interested in what hangs on in the painting after I wipe things out. What sticks. I'm not a fan of frill. I try to get it down to bare bones as a way to see what I'm really dealing with and figure out what I'm really saying. Kicking out what isn't really needed and seeing what's left. I'm interested in making work that is clear but remains open for interpretation.

What made you decide to become an artist? Why do you create art?

In high school the art room was the only part of the day that excited me. It demanded me to be engaged and I needed that. I couldn't fake art. You either put in the time or you don't and it always shows. I liked that it really asked me to be present and to ask questions. So I'm sticking to art. I make art, honestly, as a way to connect to my surroundings and a way to figure myself out. It's functional for me in that way. I make something then can look back at it and think "oh, that was what was going on". It's like a mirror. A reminder and proof that I'm still here.

Are there any artists that inspire you in your work? If so who would they be and why?

Not Another Love Song by Ruth Wartman

I've been looking at a Polish painter, Beksinski lately. These fairly dark scenes, but there's something light and almost whimsical at the same time. Huge ominous cathedrals except that it's maybe floating and the scene is soft and silent. I like that mix of calm and keeps you on your toes eerie. I've always been drawn to surrealism. Something about there being more truth in fiction.

Can you explain your interest in birds within your artwork and the significance they play in your pieces?

Birds took hold late in college as a way to paint figuratively without painting the figure. I wanted something concrete but not really defined. The birds acted as psychological self-portraits. I am mostly interested in perspective from flight. The idea that you could lift up and out of any given situation and view the bigger picture. Gain a better perspective on what's happening by changing how you're looking at it.

And finally, What advice would you give to other artists?

Something I try to tell myself, pursue what you find exciting and don't take yourself too seriously.

For more information about Wartman and her artwork visit her website at http://www.ruthwartman.com/

Art professors practice what they preach

Published on January 19, 2011. @http://www.thenortherner.com/?p=7923

By Shawn Buckenmeyer

Just because you become a professor doesn’t mean you hang up your proverbial paintbrush for life. As an artist you have to keep expanding your artistic repertoire in order to stay in the creative loop. Northern Kentucky University opened its spring semester with an art show focusing on professors in the Department of Visual Arts.

The “FE11: Department of Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition” represents work from both full-time and part-time faculty from the department.

The work ranges from painting, graphic design, ceramics, new media and drawing. Hans Schellhas, an assistant professor in graphic design, focuses on communication through his artwork. Schellhas uses the process of creating as an element in his designs.

“Some things that I don’t think will work out very well, or sometimes it’s my worst idea, turns out to be my best. I learn ­­­a lot through that process and there’s a lot of discovery there,” Schellhas said.

Schellhas’ piece, entitled “Caterpillar Tracks Poster,” was a project he worked on for the band Caterpillar Tracks, a local punk rock band located out of Cincinnati. The poster reflects the concepts of punk rock as a form of music and delves into the political aspects of the band’s music and lyrics.

“There’s definitely an aggressiveness about the poster. The band is very politically conscious, but at the same time, very strong and very aggressive,” Schellhas said. “The idea came from kind of a duality, the devil and the angel kind of thing.”

Kevin Muente, an associate professor of art in the area of painting and drawing, focuses on his experiences with nature and the experience of viewing the natural world.

Muente works with oils and heavy detail to convey the feeling of a particular location to the viewer.

“I really want to give the viewer the same sense of sensory overload that I had when I made the painting, when I experienced the places that I hiked to or just kind of meander upon,” Muente said. “I hope it excites them like it excites me when I’m at those places.”

Brad McCombs, an assistant professor in new media art, focuses his artwork on ecological, environmental and current issues. His piece entitled “Ingest,” McCombs is an abstract single-channel video that explores how we process information.

“What the imagery is, is slowly dissolving sugar, which is basically cotton candy, into water. So it’s about taking all this information in and dissolving it basically in our brain and or in our body, so it’s a metaphor for that,” McCombs said.

As artists and professors, a balance must be made between creating art and teaching art. Muente believes that it’s a necessary part of a professor’s teaching diet.

“I feel that I couldn’t teach it if I didn’t do it myself. I have to go through some of the struggles, some of the same successes that the students do and I want to be able to convey that to them,” Muente said. “I really love painting and I want to convey that love of painting to my students.”

Barbara Houghton, a professor of art with a focus in photography, displayed work from a photo documentary project based off of her stay in India. Her work explores the roles and struggles of women in India. For Houghton, one of the key aspects of being a participating artist is that it creates a strong artistic community.

“It’s like a community of creative people, and we all need to share that kind of drive for (art),” Houghton said, “and we also need to share the kind of discussion that goes on around the difficulties of being an artist and working and keeping your ideas. I think it’s really vital.”

FE11: Department of Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition runs from Jan. 13 through Feb. 4. The exhibit is located inside the Fine Arts Building at NKU in the Main Gallery.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.