Updates on studio and event happenings.
Exploring Mental Stress From Chronic Disease Linked to Trauma
It’s remarkable how life seems to wrap itself around pain. Betrayal. Disappointment. Hurt. Loss. Trauma. It’s as though we leave the womb expecting the worst and are prepared to address pain by mechanisms of self-protection and healing.
Joy is fleeting. Pain is forever. I guess…
Don’t Get Too Excited. Original acrylic on canvas painting. 24 x 30 in. plus frame. Artist: M E Fuller
In a recent consultation with an internal medicine doctor, I learned that medical science is now in agreement (once again) with folk knowledge: the first wound happened generations before you and is compounded in each generation.
Joy? Is joy like that?
As with any heroic tale, we tell it from beginning to end and then pass it down to the next generation intact in cellular memory. I believe joy is the jumping-off point and the apex of transformation.
But how do we inject joy into the injuries to heal? If it hasn’t been done through generations, can it be done by you?
Broken Hearts. Original acrylic on canvas painting. 30 x 30 in. plus frame. Artist: M E Fuller
Some of my new work explores aspects of mental stress from chronic disease linked to trauma.
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March, in Like a Lamb, Out Like a Massive Snow Dump
Overthinking. Are you guilty? With overthinking comes expectations – self-imposed. The idea of a foot or more of snow coming my way is comforting. Let’s slow everything down and apply efforts to the doable. Oh, and breathe!
I’m offering one-on-one abstract painting introductory sessions. Easy to say, but how to accomplish in a small studio space? Beginning this weekend and through the two snow days expected, my studio should be transformed not only for mentoring but also for sketching and clay work.
Is your space efficient? Does it accommodate all the things it could allow? Instead of overthinking, maybe focus on redoing your creative space.
Contact me to schedule a one-hour studio session. $60. Materials are included.
Saving the Ghost Review - LIVE!
On Monday, March 4 at 6 p.m. central time, I’ll be live with Tom Riddell on his Blog Talk Radio Show: The Writers Lounge - Showcasing New Authors.
I’m not sure how he found the book but I’m glad he did!
Cover of Saving the Ghost.
This from his email to me:
In 2011 Tom started hosting a Blog Talk Radio Show called: The Writers Lounge. It is very successful. We broadcast the show every 2 weeks and interview 1 author per show for 45 minutes and also base the show on a review of the author’s book, which we post to the TWL Facebook site from a review which is also posted on Reedsy Discovery, Good Reads, Amazon and on Tom’s site. We currently have interviewed and reviewed over 120 authors and their books.
We’ve met so many great first time authors and wonderful people and developed some very good friendships from hosting the show.
It should be great!
Warming Weather and Warm Up to Paint
In southwest Minnesota, the temperatures have been below freezing for a few days. I’m used to winters in Minnesota when 10 - 40 degrees below zero temps - not just windchill - could sustain for days, even weeks. This has been the warmest winter ever recorded. Little snow cover and short-lived cold temps have me hungering for seed starting and imagining summer gardens and harvest.
This is a good time to do some warm-up exercises to get you ready to paint garden abstracts.
Pick colors that feel warm and sunny. Don’t be precious with your first marks. They aren’t likely to survive overpainting. You want to feel energy surge through you as you apply the marks. Think garden growth and buzzing pollinators.
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See you next time. Thanks for reading.
Abstract Painting May Be Intuitive, But is Still a Process
The wonderful thing (for me) about abstract work is the start. Putting down the first marks and brush strokes are magical moves. I’m not trying to paint a pretty picture. I don’t have an idea in mind. I may not even know what colors I’ll use.
First Layers
Sometimes adding marks and paint and textures changes the painting in ways I don’t like.
Adding layers
Sometimes I feel the painting is near completion until I stand back and study what I have for compostion and movement. Sometimes I don’t entriely like what I see.
Hmmm…
I’ll keep working on this, but now with focus on what it can be. Stay tuned.
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Winter Blues? I Think Not!
On the last day of 2023, I bought vegetable seeds. I will grow gardens in my mind through March of 2024 when seed starting begins. #summerdreams #veggies #gardens
Also today, the first day of 2024 I will begin sketchbooks for new art to show in 2025.
#sketching #abstractart #artcollector #artcreator
In January of 2024, I will begin an exploration into slab clay work.
#clay #ceramics #clayart #stoneware #handbuilt #ceramics #pinchedpots #handbuiltpottery #ceramics
Winter blues? I think not.
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Here’s To Another Stunning Year of Growth & Opportunity
The last couple of years have been amazing for me as an artist. As I’ve moved away from representational art into abstract forms, I’ve discovered a level of creative joy I’d not known. I was generally satisfied, even pleased, with my work, but nothing prepared me for the exhilaration I experience when painting freely, without expectations of a result.
As I’ve lived with many of the pieces, I’ve reflected on my own growth as an artist and as an individual. I’ve applied for multiple grants and exhibits. Some have come through. Others have been rejected. These days, a rejection is not a statement on my work, but is an opportunity to look deeper for more, maybe better, places to present the work I do.
During an author event, I met a young woman who is on the staff of the Blue Earth Review, Minnesota State University, Mankato’s literary magazine. Somehow our conversation turned to art. Since this was an author event, I didn’t have any artwork with me, so I showed her my website. She loved what she saw and encouraged me to apply to be the featured artist in their upcoming issue. And so I am!
Be free with your creative movements and voice. Be open to new things. Welcome change.
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It’s Been a Minute Since I Last Shared the What’s Up with You
Summer went by in a haze of heat. Today, October 20, is forecasted to reach 73 degrees. We’re not out of the heat wave yet. My phlox began blooming again!
It is fall. Leaves are dropping and turning color. Rain has come and gone. I’m hoping for more before snow falls.
I don’t have much to report on the creative front. I’ve taken a break since I finished writing, From Hothouse to Heaven. Outside of a few author and artist events, I’ve been taking it easy. Sort of. As you can see from the events listed below, I’ve been busy enough making sure I can get art and books in front of as many people in Minnesota as I can.
Upcoming events – you can find additional details on the website.
Nov 10 – 12, Art Attack, Northrup King Building. Studio #445, Northeast Minneapolis
Nov 13 - Jan 17, White Bear Art Center (WBAC) Members Exhibition, White Bear Lake
Nov 18, Author Talk & Book Signing, Bird Island Cultural Arts Center
Nov 25-26, GSR Fine Art Festival, Event Center, Mankato, and you can connect year-round at ShopART Midwest, GSR’s new gallery.
Dec 1, Old Fashioned Christmas Market, Bird Island Cultural Arts Centre
Dec 9, Montevideo Artist Market, Hollywood on Main, Montevideo
I hope to see you at an event soon!
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See you next time. Thanks for reading.
The Lazy Days of Summer Are Here.
The featured artwork, Reflections on 2020, is going to a new home. Thank you to all who purchase artwork and books. Your support makes continued art-making possible. Please visit my gallery page to see what is available.
Growing a crop of books!
The lazy days are about to begin for me. I finished writing From Hothouse to Heaven this week. I don’t have events planned until August 12. I haven’t had this much time off since I retired eight years ago!
There are things cooking in the background, though. I’ll tell you about them when I have a ready-to-serve-it-up meal.
From Hothouse to Heaven, the 2nd book in the mystery series, Filthy Dirty Garden Gloves, went to readers earlier this week. First reader heard from read it straight through and had few fixes. Yay!
An excellent read with intriguing characters responding to humorous and suspenseful situations. The reader is drawn in, along with the endearing residents of Buffalo View Village, to follow the local detective and her officers through confusing clues surrounding multiple murders. Plot twists and budding romances keep readers engaged from beginning to end. An enjoyable read, similar to favorite television crime dramas like Bones, Law & Order series, and NCIS.
Ruth Ann Lee
The new book is formatted and ready to publish by the end of today, Friday, July 21. I’m hoping to have paperbacks in my hand in time for the Northwoods Arts Council Art and Book Festival on August 12.
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See you next time. Thanks for reading.
A Few Slow Weeks Ahead!
The 12 x 12 inch painting, A Rainy Sunday Morning (featured image), has found a new home. I’m so grateful to art lovers who purchase work from me. Sales help to take the supply order out of holding status!
Currently I have two shows up, one at the Watermark Art Center in Bemidji, MN, through August 26, and one featuring small works is open through July 15 in Ortonvile, MN at The Smallest Art Gallery. The gallery has limited summer hours but do not hesitate to call to arrange a showing. The owner, Kathi Marihart, is waiting for your call!
Out of My Hands. Watermark Art Center. Through August 26.
Hanging the show with The Smallest Art Gallery owner, Kathleen Marihart and helper husband extraordinaire, Keith.
And now, drum roll, I have time to complete the final edits on From Hothouse to Heaven and get it ready to launch on August 12 at the 2023 NORTHWOODS ART & BOOK FESTIVAL!
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See you next time. Thanks for reading.
Sun Through the Mist Found a New Home.
Last weekend I was at the Excelsior Art on the Lake 2023 event. I was a first timer so had no expectations for the event. It was a wonderful experience. As always, I sold a lot of books. I actually ran out of Blood on the Bridal Wreath copies. I thought a dozen would be enough. I was wrong. Good problem to have, right?
M E Fuller booth at Excelsior Art on the Lake art fair.
I bring my books to art fairs because they sell. There is no guarantee that artworks will find new homes. Book sales guarantee that at least my meals and mileage will be covered. It’s no fun to be $1,000 out of pocket for trailer, travel, and sometimes lodging. But that’s the risk an artist takes with an unknown audience.
I’m happy to report that I did sell some sketches on paper. It’s important to have a range of price points, some more affordable, some top tier. All my work is original so buyers can own a unique piece of art.
And then there is this beautiful painting that found a new home. - Sunlight Through the Mist will grace a new couple’s home with its gentle mood. I’m happy when my paintings find others to love them.
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Out of My Hands Opened May 12!
After a year of preparation, my exhibit of abstract works opened at the Watermark Art Center in Bemidji, MN on May 12. It was nerve-wracking for me to get through the process of building my first big solo exhibit. But I did it. I made it. And it is beautiful. I say that because, yes, I believe the work is good, but also because the lighting on the paintings is superb! It will be worth your time to visit the exhibit - through August 26 - to study each and every canvas under perfect lighting. Thank you to the Watermark team for their encouragement and expertise.
If You Build It Will They Come?
Attendance at their events is always a concern for emerging artists and authors. When the event is hours of travel away from friends and followers, the worry intensifies. I was a nervous wreck. But, due to the active marketing efforts by Watermark Art Center’s Communication Director, Lisa Setter, and a show of support from some friends and family, there was a good gathering of enthusiastic and interested art lovers.
Getting ready for my artist talk with Lori Forshee-Donnay, Executive Director of the Watermark Art Center.
I Don’t Understand Abstract Art, but I Want To.
One visitor was sure he didn’t understand abstract art and had many questions. When you get down to it, abstraction is not so much about understanding as it is about feeling. Does it make you happy to look at that art? Does it make you feel energized or sad? What do you feel, not see, in an abstract painting? That was a big part of our discussion during the author talk. Questions about my process came up frequently as well. Do you start with a plan? How do you face a blank canvas? My answer to every question was this, I paint.
If you’d like to learn more about creating abstract art, invite me to facilitate a workshop in your community.
Beginning Abstract Painting workshop, Granite Falls, MN.
The May/June newsletter will be out soon. Join the email list today!
See you next time. Thanks for reading.
My Events Schedule Is Filling Up. Come Out and Share My Joy!
Creating art and writing stories puts me in my happy place. I love to share my work at exhibits, art fairs, and book talks. I encourage you to visit my website events page and find a time when you can come to meet me and share in the joy of my work.
Art in May
My solo abstract exhibit, Out of My Hands, will open on May 12, 2023, in Bemidji, MN at the Watermark Art Center. People from all over the country arrive in Bemidji that weekend because it’s Minnesota’s fishing opener and Mother’s Day weekend. Let your Bemidji-bound friends know about my show! Read about the exhibit on Watermark’s website and come out to see me at the reception, on May 12 from 5 to 7 p.m.
I’ll also be showing art at my local coffee shop, Java River, on 1st Street in downtown Montevideo, MN. This show, Mixed Styles, will include past and present works – some more traditional styles alongside a few abstract pieces. Come out for great coffee and food and take a look at my work.
In Other News
I am the new Chippewa County representative on the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council (SMAC) board. I’m looking for artists, including performers, in my county. I’ve been in talks with others about restarting an arts council in Montevideo and want input from our county artists.
The May newsletter will be out soon. Join the email list today!
See you next time. Thanks for reading.
Is Your Creative Spark Under the Weather?
I Know It’s Been a Tough Winter, but Spring Is Nearly Here
There are few signs of springtime where I live. One more snowstorm is in the weather forecast. Cabin fever has a tight grip on me! Each day challenges me to get into the studio and get my creative juices flowing. So, I tried something new, and it worked. I stretched a 4 x 3-foot canvas and took a more intentional approach to the painting. The result was the first in a triptych of images, interesting to look at and loaded with environmental and social messaging. Something long dormant popped through, and I’m happy about it.
Style vs Style – Is It Okay To Change Your Style?
If you develop a style that is recognizable as yours, you might hesitate to explore new ideas creatively. Could you lose your audience if you strike off in a different direction? You could. Or maybe your audience will stick with you because they want your unique artistic energy to enhance their lives. My new work is not as free-wheeling or seemingly intuitive. The colors are dull. The spaces are well-defined. Every element is an illustrative representation of an idea that supports the theme. I am equal parts loosey-goosey and by-the-letter. In the end, I gotta be me!
Not Everyone is For Everyone
We are all different in the ways we tell and receive stories. As an artist, I want to focus on the stories emerging from inside of me, mingled with exterior observations. That mix is sometimes more easily received and understood as a visual than, say, an essay or a speech.
I’ve been feeling that I shouldn’t stray from what I’ve been doing, but I know that there is a third evolution to come if I let it happen. I had to take a moment to accept that not everyone will like the abstract graphic work. And it’s not an either-or situation. After completing the first in the graphic abstraction triptych, I created a beautiful abstract landscape that came easily because of a discovery I’d made while painting the graphic piece.
Go With the Flow!
Follow your ideas as far as they will take you, knowing there are millions more ahead!
The April newsletter will be out tomorrow. Join the email list today!
See you next time. Thanks for reading.
Spring is Here. Are You Inspired to Create Something New?
The primary image for this post is part of a series I’m developing around industry and ecology. How is the quality of life-giving resources affected by the production and transportation of goods we think we need? It seems that we are oblivious to the erosion of pristine environments that sustain life.
This painting, Off Track, is one of three in the series that I will be exhibiting at Lakeview Gallery in Watermark Art Center, Bemidji, MN. The Artist Reception is May 12 at 5 p.m. The Exhibit runs through August 28, 2023.
In other news, I am the new Chippewa County, MN representative on the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council board. I’m on a mission to identify practicing fine artists in our county and help promote and support their work.
There will be a newsletter coming out soon. Join the email list today!
See you next time. Thanks for reading.
It’s Important to Get Help From Your Friends!
I’ve been delaying blog posts for a couple of weeks while waiting on announcements of things that could happen.
One thing did come to be:
Another did not.
I applied for an artist’s grant to help me grow my exposure as an artist by providing financial support to purchase supplies. Somehow panelists who reviewed the grant did not equate creating new work to get in front of new audiences as artist growth. I failed to communicate the importance of audience growth to keep artists financially solvent. It is a given throughout the creative process, that new learning (artistic growth) will happen as each new work is developed. That led me to think more cautiously about how to present myself as an artist to future grant panelists.
Abstraction is a new direction for me as a painter. I did not have a previous following as an artist. I put more effort into writing and promoting books. My artist dabbling was a side hobby. That’s how I thought about it. After 30+ years as a graphic designer, I learned to not take my creative work too seriously. Any client was likely to overlook my best work, favoring some other direction. I wasn’t invested in the projects. It was work I did that I enjoyed. Books were my passion.
But then, in 2021, that all changed. I still love working on books and promoting books and talking about my books, but my artistic practice changed. I began to explore abstraction as a legitimate expression of myself as a visual artist. I fell into the most wonderful creative space that matched my inner view of experience. Interestingly, this work, the work I align with myself only, is the work that is getting attention. Again, I’m new to this and there are few art lovers who know about me as a painter. Because of that, I am not yet, self-sustaining. I need outside financial help to create more work to put in front of more people – art lovers, art collectors, art galleries, art exhibits & shows.
I recently had two thought provoking conversations about my art. As I prepare new grant applications, I have to keep in mind that understanding how the art is received, responded to by others, matters. I have to show how the work not only activates new learning for me as the artist, but also what the art has to offer a larger audience.
Grant application instructions can be confusing. I needed help to work through what my art is, where I think it’s going, and how that fits with the application criteria.
What would a five-year project look like? Hard to say if artistic growth is a factor and the project is more than a one-piece, pre-designed visual.
Do I want to commit to create one vision when I’m full of so many ideas? I don’t know. Maybe.
Is this the time for me to focus on a project (sounds like client work to me) versus letting the creative juices flow and form as they will? Maybe I can do both. Ah!
Wish me luck as I move forward. And please plan to visit my solo exhibit at the Watermark Art Center in Bemidji this spring and summer.
See you next time. Thanks for reading.
Winter Can Be Tough on the Creative Spirit. It Was Hard to Push Through!
Did Winter Slow You Down?
It was tough on me, I have to say. I found it hard to escape the February blues, but I fought my way through to March. I am craving the spring thaw! The painting featured in this week’s blog is titled, Spring Thaw. You can find this and other available paintings on my gallery page.
What Do You Do When Your Creative Spirit is Stalled?
There was one thing that kept me energized (barely) and that was my stints at the gym. Even a 30-minute workout three or four times a week helps keep the mind and the muscles turned up. That sluggish feeling from inactivity will affect your creative flow.
Schedule Activity Throughout Your Work Day
A 10-minute break every couple of hours will refresh your mind and spirit. Every couple of hours get up and move around to shake off the winter blues!
See you next time. Thanks for reading.
I'm Excited About My 2023 Arts & Books Event Season
It’s fun to prepare for the coming year. It’s also a bit nerve-wracking to apply for juried events and wait, and wait, and wait to learn if I’ve been accepted. I’m trying some different fairs this year. I’ll let you know what happens! Check out my Events page to see what’s on the calendar.
And the February email update is out today. Have you subscribed?
Each month I try to publish an update of what’s happening with art, books, and workshops in my creative world. I’m a little this month. I was waiting for some news that hasn’t arrived yet. If you want to keep up to-date, subscribe!
Late Autumn.
Late Autumn is the first new painting of 2023. I’m busy creating new pieces (almost) every day to build my 2023 collection. If you would like to purchase this work, please contact me.
I’m also pounding keys to get to the end of From Hothouse to Heaven. I can’t wait. If you haven’t read my other books, catch up now.
See you next time. Thanks for reading.
What Are Other Artists Doing?
One of my morning routine activities is exploring works by other abstract painters. I use Instagram, applying different hashtags. I save images that interest me for their color, composition, and energy. Some images that really move me, I save. I follow some artists, so my feed is flooded (that’s the hope) with inspiration.
It’s Impossible To Replicate the Work of Others
Even if I wanted to, I’m not that kind of painter. My mind quickly overrides what I see and allows my imagination to take over. I can’t even replicate work from my own sketches. Each piece has a life of its own. Using the sketch on the left as a reference, the finished painting is a horse of a different stripe!
Abstract sketch for reference and final painting, Water on the Rocks.
What I’m Trying To Achieve With Every Painting
Until I began intentionally painting in the abstract, I enjoyed painting, but I always did it hoping to make sales. The pieces I sold were more abstract than illustrative. I didn’t realize for years that abstraction is how I tell my story – the inner story – of how I experience my existence. As I continue to paint, I hope my mind will continue to step away and allow me to express to the fullest whatever part of the story is ready to be released. It often interrupts with cautions about audience and money – will this sell? Why don’t you make it friendlier? Why don’t you do something different?
I’m trying to quiet the negative noise and have at it. I’m always surprised by what happens next.
See you next time. Thanks for reading.
FOMO. Artists, When to Stop Exploring and Settle on a Theme. The Time may be NOW!
Study Your Past Work Today to Find Your New Favorite Style. Tomorrow, We Paint!
Each time I face an empty canvas or paper, I’m struck by how quickly my thought turns into action that results in something I was not thinking about. For two years now I’ve been exploring color and texture and tools while creating abstract works, primarily of landscapes and mindscapes. I’ve been afraid to edit my inner urges because maybe I don’t yet know what all is inside of me that wants to be expressed in this creative form.
I’ve been reviewing my abstract work over the past two years to see what stands out as a style to explore further. Is it a mark? Is it a color? Is it a brush stroke? What makes a painting strong enough to encourage the development of a full collection? It’s important that I figure this out right now because now is the time to create something new.
I want to build new collections to submit for solo shows in 2024. As I stand back and look at everything I’ve done, from sketches to finished canvases, it’s surprising to me that I’m not bored by any of it. How can I develop a style or theme if I like everything I’ve done so far? (Not bragging, just loving on ‘em!)
Which Paintings Make Me Want To Do More of That?
The paintings that speak the loudest are the paintings with the most chaos and color. They make me happy. And I can envision larger and larger canvases presenting these styles. It remains to be seen if I follow through or if an as-of-yet-unseen inner vision breaks through my determination to set a style. You know, I’ll keep you posted!
Let me know which three paintings you think I picked!
See you next time. Thanks for reading.