Ruth Garrood Draws This

OH NO !

2012-01-25T04:56:00.000-08:00

I havn't updated this for nearly a year, total fail !

Im working on something atm though and it will be finished within the week so I will defo update then. Its totally out of my comfort zone and I found it a lot harder than I expected but im pleased with the results so far. Horray for pushing your boundries and all that !

In the meantime, here is a beautiful painting by my art hero Richard Oliver to keep you going.

Check out his blog at

Laters.

xxx

Proactive.

2011-03-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

If Scout had his own way, he'd totally be a Jedi or a train conductor or something.

xxx

A lovable pest.

2011-03-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

The beginnings of a brain storm.

xxx

Grrrr.

2011-03-08T13:41:00.000-08:00

HI ! OK so I am an art fail and have not done nearly as much as id like as of late. Oh well, 9-5 does that to you. But I thought id share this photo Ella took of my wolf pack at our degree show.

The prowelly wolf didnt end up being shown after a dismaying incident involving it falling off the wall the day before grading, and the double sided tape on the back becoming attatched to the biggest spikiest spider you would ever see. It was traumatic for all involved. Especially the spider I expect, but you cant help but appreciate the irony of its demise.

I promise I will do something arty and fun soon and write here more and make it actually enjoyable to read.

And one day I will write and illustrate 'Tales of Scout, an incorrigible rogue: Mr. Snuffles and the rainbow bridge.' Upbeat right ?

Muttley.

2011-01-22T05:32:00.000-08:00

My photobucket account went wild and I lost alot of pictures, so apologies for the blog being all empty and bad looking. I'll try and sort it soon.

Since my degree tbh ive been a bit lacking on the art front, I did this of my mums friends dog Muttley before Christmas, and have another few things in the pipeline so hopefully I can get back on it.

xxx

A good dog.

2010-07-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

Im back in Guildford for a few days visiting my parents. It is still strange without my old dog Casper here. a print of the painting I did of him after his death over looks us from the chimney brest. I did it in my first year but I would still say it was my most effective piece to date.

A day of contemplation. When the otterhound isnt drooling on my knee.

Wolves.

2010-07-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

I have finished my degree. Scary ! Our degree show was a few weeks ago and my installation was based around my studies on wolves and the pack dynamic.

My main piece was this pack study,

which was situated in a secluded corner in the gallery space. There was a second piece supposed to be exhibited, a lone wolf suggested the seperation between the home pack and wolves at leisure, as well as the wolf hunting for food.

The wolves pose as an interesting subject matter. Their relationship with mankind dates back as far as the bear, its collaboration equally as volitile. However the pack instint makes me wonder if its that desire to be a part of a family group that makes the relationship between man and wolf more compasionate.

Art from the new world

2010-06-23T15:48:00.001-07:00

So Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery is currently housing the Art from the new world exhibition, under the curation of the Corey Helford Gallery in LA.

And to be fair, its pretty damn good.
The exhibition encompasses a variety of media, exposing an American art scene that is bold and provocative.
And I kind of loved it a little bit.

What was unavoidable was the unashamed nod of appreciation towards the traditional skills of painting and drawingthat are so often overlooked in modern conceptual exhibitions. The technical skill here is exquisite, and the artists knowledge and understanding is impressive.
Each piece is laced with a dark sense of humour, as well as conventional ideas of society, beauty and glamour. The show comes as a breath of fresh air, often seen as a rejection of the highbrow conceptual art in favour of work that reflects more on technical skill and narrative, often with a figureative focus.

The show claims to set about dissolveing the elitism in the art world and blurring the boundries of what people consider 'high' and 'low' art. It highlights everything that attracted me to art in the first place.

I remember doing a little project on Buff Monster when I was studying for my A.S level, drawn in by the flattened cans with the tag painted on, nailed to lamp-posts. Nowdays Buff Monster has established himself as a reputable modern artists, braching out into silk screen and designer toys. It was cool to see his work up close after so long !

The piece that caught my eye immediatly was Elizabeth McGrath's 'Cerberus.'

Combining two of my most favorite things, dogs and things that sparkle in a garish fashion. Her disturbingly lifelike sculptures are led by her curiosity about the relationship between the natural world and the excess of consumer culture, so we share some ideas and inspirations surrounding our work !

While Natalia Fabia's 'wet tea party' depicts pretty much my ideal evening. Down to the eccentric headwear, diamonte skull and kitsch teapot.

Its a cool, quirky, thought provoking and powerful exhibition, housing a collaboration of artists never shown together outside of the U.S before now. It runs until Augest 22nd, so def hop down if you have the chance and it will more likely than not brighten your day.

Bear about town.

2010-03-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

An experiment to see how well the bears fare in the outside world.

Bear series.

2009-12-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

As Steve Baker in 'The Postmodern Animal' suggests, alongside Modern Art came the opinion that “the image of the animal was further hampered by the unashamedly anthropomorphic sentiment of an earlier age, which could hardly have been more at odds with the values of the self-consciously serious modernist avant-guardes.” Quite simply, the use of animals within art went from being not half bad but not
particularly interesting, to very uncool indeed. Besides, what was the point of representational images of animals when photography was invented ? Thereafter, the use of animals in art was generally considered a bit of a taboo unless it owed itself more to imagination than interpretation. No sympathy with the animal is required, or indeed encouraged, and it is not to be assumed that the artist even adopts a particularly pro-animal stance.
For artists Ollie and Suzie however, the animal is a reminder of the limits of human understanding. They consider “the very existence of dangerous wild animals 'keeps us in check', they state, and serves to warn the humans (including artists) are 'not the boss of everything.' The reality of the animals existence, and
the artists physical proximity to those animals, it is central to their work.' This keen interest in the wild animal and their relationship to humans, particularly the superiority people tend to assume over animals is compelling. Take the bear, for example. A creature affectionately adopted as the 'it' to of the century. Teddy bears adorn the beds of children everywhere while much of the West's most beloved fictional characters are based on the bear. Paddington, Rupert and Sooty to name a few. And yet all the while, the turbulent relationship between man and bear never fully disappears. An imposing figure, the largest ever grizzly bear recorded stood at 14 feet to the top of his head, and after an autopsy was established to have killed at least two humans in the 72 hours before its demise. And it was killed when a hunter emptied his 7mm Magnum semi-automatic rifle into its head. This event perfectly displays the ongoing battle of power between man and beast.
Enter into the bears natural habitat, odds are stacked against you and you may well wake up to a bear chewing on your head. However, if you manage to drag him into the urban world, he paints a very sorry picture. Images of bears in captivity rocking backwards and forwards from boredom and neglect induced insanity, or chained, starved and beaten with chains into 'dancing' for the entertainment of humans are sadly all to common.
This relationship between man and beast, the fight to assert their superiority along with the desire to get along has become an increasingly popular subject matter to artists and photographers. Take Pieter Hugo and his 'Hyena Man' images. These shots of universally recognised 'bad guys' of the animal world, they create a disconcerting scene, the suggestion of affection and companionship contrasts with the visible fangs and chains around their necks. Its a deeply interesting subject with endless ways of discussing it through the means of art.

xxx

Its a funny thing.

2009-10-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

How as soon as something becomes obligitory, You automatically assume that it lessens the fun. I always um and ah about getting started on a piece, put it off, but as soon as I start I get really into it. I wonder if thats common practice or if im just a little wierd. Its the only time im completely focused and get lost in myself.

This is a lifesize graphite study of a Rhodesian Ridgeback.

It got a bit squashed on the way to the studio. Fail on my part. I need an abnormally long portfolio really.

Here is a study of a Ridgeback galloping. Its finished with diluted inks and oil pastels.

Along with my on going practice, im also in the process of writing my dissertation. Its still early days yet but im considering the influance animals have on our culture in western society. For example, Why do puppies sell us toilet roll ?

At the same time im writing my AVC essay reguarding my own practice, challenging the taboo of animal 'portraiture' within the boundries of Fine Art Practice.

Summertime.

2009-09-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

and the livin' is easy.

Over summer I have mostly been contemplating my impending dissertation, and doing alot of rough sketches. Here is some evidance of such.

Back to the studio next monday, Hi 3rd year, I cant believe youre here already !

Faith space.

2009-05-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

The other week we curated an exhibition for our critique at Faith space in Southville.
We chose two rooms, a dark, red brick basement and a well lit sunday school room.
I chose to install two pieces, both portraits of a puppy sleeping, but wanted to install one in each space because the conotations that came with each piece were so influanced by its surroundings. Heres some photos:

Isnt it typical.

2008-12-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

That when you have SO much work to be done in a matter of days,
you then spend a good number of hours drawing something completely unrelated to ones current practice. Particularly when said item ends up looking comically unimpressive.

I continue being drawn to portraiture, reguardless of how competant I am at producing them. Im doing another self portrait. I may post it up depending on whether I still look hauntingly posessed or not. Or if in fact, the unintentional haunting posessed look actually by some fluke, works.

Today I have been reading 'The Postmodern Animal' by Steve Baker.
If you were judging a book by its cover, you would be sold immediatly. You cant go wrong with a big angry looking shark eating a painting of a fish. So far so good.

I know

2008-12-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

I only finished this yesterday. Its probably the most successful one so far id say.

I really liked the uneasyness that it creates. At a glance it just looks like a lovely heart, a token of affection, however the longer you look at it, the more things dont seem to fit.
I heard of a couple of girls who travelled across countries just to turn up on the doorstep of their favorite bands frontmans mother. Really, the mind boggles. However, there was a degree of naivety. They were so focused on achieving their aim that they didnt consider how their actions could be intrusive or in fact a little creepy. I believe said band member wasnt even home.
I wanted to draw aspects of naivety into the image, hence why the words are written in a childlike hand, with a childish happy face. The fact that you cant tell if the ferrets are even alive (they do have a habit of looking dead when they sleep) also works in its favour.
Here the viewer is more involved. Its reminiscent of a note or card slipped through the letterbox by an admirer, and allows the viewer to imagine the role of sender or reciever.

OK, thats what ive been working on these past few months. I will continue to update this as and when I have anything worthwhile to say !

To summerise, im starting to have fun with my work !

Scout the incorrigible rogue.

2008-12-04T17:19:00.001-08:00

'Naff off' was considered fairly ambiguous, with distint airs of comedy, which I wanted to continue.
My muse became my pet ferret Scout, the encouragable rogue.
Ferrets are natures comedian. They look like what would happen if a cat, a dog, a snake, a dragon and a hamster had a bit of a gang bang.
Scout being no exception. He makes a noise like Sweep from the Sooty show when he's happy and honks like a goose in his sleep. And, well, im not going to lie; he lives in my house and is therefore an ideal subject to observe at all times.

This piece I called 'Sweaty towel.'

Here I wanted to focus on the innocence and naivety of teenage crushes. Their inquisitive little faces contrast with the sexual connotations of the phrase 'Oooh I wish he'd throw his sweaty towel at me !' (A phrase uttered by a wide eyed fan in referance to my boyfriend at his gig reacently) and the viewer is distanced, playing the role of the observer, as if they are over hearing a conversation taking place.
I made alot of sketches of Scout and studied 'animals from life' pieces by artists such as Ralph Thompson.

2nd year.

2008-12-04T16:54:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of this academic year, I was somewhat stuck with where to go next. Aware that my skills are better suited in animal portraiture, but anxious to get a bit more out of it.
At the same time, I had a number of ideas going round in my head concerning the publics relationship with 'celeb' culture. It grew partly from my own intrest in following bands, as well as witnessing the fans reaction at shows with my boyfrinds band or my friends bands playing.
I became intreguied by the sense of public property that comes with the job, as well as the idea that 'if theyre famous then its fair game.' People behave in the strangest way, saying things they wouldnt ordinarily say and doing things that they usually wouldnt do. It becomes shameless activity where it is socially acceptable to behave as though you have the right to invade the lives and privacy of your chosen celeb.

While pondering the above, to remain active I did a painting of a horse. I like horses and it ensured that I was doing something. I looked at Gericault alot around this time. As well as Mark Wallinger and William Wegman.
As a later addition I added the phrase 'naff off, he's mine'.

By this point I had decided to combine the two aspects on my mind at the time. This was an experimental piece and although I dont think it works particularly well as a work in its own right, it paved the way for some more focused ideas.

Last year I developed my style working with large rolls of fabrianao. I tend to use diluted ink alot as a base, filling in the detail with Oil pastels.

Welcome.

2008-12-04T16:18:00.000-08:00

It has been my intention to start up a blog showcasing my current ideas and inspirations reguarding my art practice for a while now.
Today seems as good a time as any, so here it is.

Im not sure exactly what role I should play here, so I'll just go with it.

To be honest it has taken years to become comfortable with the work that im producing. Self doubt and a suprising desire to please ones audiance has resulted in a considerable amount of experimentation and failure. However, its great to finally be in that place where im really enjoying getting ink to paper and actually creating something im proud of.

I suppose I turned a courner last April when my pet dog died. It was a shame, he was a good dog, and I felt compelled to focus my attention on creating some pieces that did him some justice.
I did a series of three, entitled Casper 1, 2 and 3. Something clicked and they came out well, particularly 2 and 3, capturing some essence of his character.

Casper 1.

Casper 2.

Casper 3.

For the first time I was happy to allow people to look at my work. I branded this the start of a new era, and promised myself that I would continue to make work that I loved.

This took me to the end of my first year studying Fine Art at the University of the West of England in Bristol.