Artist Statement

Memories, as well as experiences and imagination, are what give life meaning and structure. It gives me a deep sense of fulfillment to transform real subjects and ideas into works of art on canvas that preserve people, places and things for posterity.

While the oil paintings I label "Spirit Paintings" are continuing investigations of the transparency effects of light and shadow on reflective or see-through objects and figures, they each combine classical painting techniques with narrative subjects, focusing on the unreal, the unseen, and the impossible. They are realistic depictions of the remembered and the imagined that strive to tell a story and bring an emotional response from the viewer.

These imaginative works begin by laying down a "cartoon" (line drawing) of the composition, followed by the application of a full-value black and white depiction of the subject matter. Each tube of coloured oil paint used in the next process is chosen for its staining, translucent, or transparent chemical make-up and layer upon layer of brilliant, pure colour is applied to the realistically rendered underpainting. I do not mix paint! Using the principals of colour theory, layer after layer of pure colour is applied to the canvas until the result is rich jewels of colour and texture and ever-deepened effects of shadows as light passes through objects, figures, and space.

Every painting tells a story and each viewer has their own personal response to, and interpretation of, my art. Any connection to the subject matter makes the viewer an active participant in the work as he, or she, experiences their own emotions or shares a connection to the imagery.

               

Spirit Paintings began originally by depicting personal recollections and the stories surrounding historical locations, but now represent works of art that are created from the objects, loved ones (past and present), fantasies, and inspirations of others. I have found that people long to make a statement about their own lives for posterity and, for this reason, I eagerly look forward to creating each client’s personal story. I never know what exciting subject will be on the easel next and cannot wait to discuss the creation of your own personal, one of kind, unique Spirit Painting.

What is your story?

Artist, Kathryn Rutherford, drinking tea from her Great Grandmother's tea cup with her Great Grandparents, Edward Francis Ives and Anna Barbara Schmid, looking out from the shadows, and her Great Grandfather's 1883 ship, the Maple Leaf, sailing across the Lake Erie background.