Art. My love. My heart. My soul. It is who I am.
For over twenty years now, I have dedicated my life into my husband and I's very successful, smoked foods company. He is amazing, he is very skilled and very talented, and as a team, we created a great business, which continues to thrive.
But now.. its my turn.
I studied Graphic Design at the Glasgow College of Building & Printing. I once, in fact was offered a placement at #Glasgow School of Art but quite frankly, in those days, coming from a working class family in outer Glasgow, there simply weren't the funds to send me. My oldest brother had gone, and indeed is a Master and teacher of art, but for me, a girl, the youngest, the mentality was "back in the day", that I would get married, have kids and I'd be much better off "in a nice city office job".
My parents were fantastic (I still have my Mum, sadly Dad passed in 2016 on their 66th wedding anniversary) They installed in me a great work ethic which has proved fruitful for sure. They gave us everything, but sadly, for me, not a gateway to the Charles Rennie Mackintosh school of art.
Still, I managed to find my way around it, and in the early 90s, my work would be sold in the City Gallery in Glasgow, fetching sums of unknown amounts. All I knew was a man with a bundle, would appear at my small illustrations business in the East End, with a wad of notes which meant a full trolley load visit to Asda that week.
I operated a super "baby gift" business, long before the days of the great world wide web. Selling in a well known "Mother & Baby" magazine, my illustrated baby gift paintings would go far & wide. I am sure there will be people around right now, who have their little nursery "birth data" painting. If you are reading this and have one, look in the bottom right corner, it will be signed simply "Ruby", I would love to see it!
When my husband and I married, I was a professional calligrapher. I had a great contract with a historic newspaper gifts company, and with the steady income it provided, we started our smoked salmon company.
Over the years we have grown into a Scottish Tourist Board 5 star Tourist facility, and indeed even today, our salmon is served in only the finest establishments in the UK. Michelin chefs, luxury hotels - we have a client list which is the "who's who" of the catering industry.
But now, its all about me :)
I have been practicing these techniques for pretty much my adult life. I started playing with textured and "marbled" art in my twenties. I would buy cheap white mdf furniture, and discovered I could create a marbled effect with turpentine and enamel paints. I was fascinated how paint could entwine, layer and emulsify.
During the last ten years, I have been blessed to be able to spend a lot of time visiting the Cayman Islands, and the fruits of our labour affords my husband and I, two cruises a year to far off wonderful seas. I love the ocean. It is my "happy" place. I study it. I study the waves. I study the calm. I even study the movement of a simple pool or puddle.
After years of snorkelling tropical waters, I finally, took my "giant stride" and am now a proud #PADI certified #Scuba Diver. This beautiful underwater world - wow... There are no words.
Over the last ten years I have been experimenting with numerous forms of media. I am still experimenting today. I think I will continue to experiment for life. Art is often an experiment.
Many of my epic disasters have been turned around and developed into some of the best work I have created.
I am not a "random artist". I do not "mix various elements into a pot and pour my medium". No disrespect intended to those that do. Its just not "my thing". I work with focus. I work in many layers, each one creating a new dimension. Layering opaque with translucent, mixing many pigments, paints, tints and glazes. I love creating a glass like finish and I love creating texture, so sometimes my work will feature both. Its all magic!
I am now at this wonderful point in life, where its "all about me".
Taking a back step from our business this year has been life changing. Gone are the daily stresses. Gone is the need to feel I have to every day, put on my "BlingBlingGlamQueen" face & hair. (my nails are now a glorious pitiful sight lol) Gone is the sheer exhaustion from tireless hours at work in a heated kitchen.
My soul is being fed. My body nurtured -
I feel amazing. I feel wonderful. I feel fulfilled.
Every day I wake up and think "YES!"..
I hope you will join me in my journey.
Welcome to my world of colour.
