While growing up in West Virginia, I developed a love for Appalachia’s unspoiled views. For as long as I can remember, I have collected scenes that influence my mood and give me comfort.
I now live on a small farm near the Smoky Mountains where I continue to collect scenes and paint in my studio.
Both real and imagined places, or a combination of the two provide me with an abundance of subject matter.
Here on our farm, I am fascinated with fleeting moments when a cloud is just so, and then shape shifts before my eyes. Our laying hens warn me about hawks in the sky or an occasional Blue Heron in our little pond. Every day is different, but if I take the time to look, I see the interplay of light on water, distant views of neighbors’ farms and the primordial quality of the woods.
Bobby’s Barns, now on exhibit at Lagerquist Gallery in Atlanta, is a view of our neighbor’s barns. This is a view from our back pasture.
After graduating from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in art, I worked in marketing and advertising for several years. I moved to East Tennessee from Chicago and when I finally settled here on the farm, my interest in painting was renewed.
When I began painting again, however, I set aside my brushes and now use palette knives to paint in oil on canvas or linen. I like using palette knives because they allow me to capture the fleeting quality of moments in time.
©2012 Ruth Koh