Today we’d like to introduce you to Ruby Way.
Hi Ruby, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Creativity has been a lifelong pursuit for me, one which began in childhood and hopefully will be endless and boundless. I have been drawing, painting and sculpting all my life, enjoying all art media. I was very lucky to be encouraged by my family, friends and teachers. This connection to my teachers inspired me to pursue teaching myself, excited to empower creativity in others. I received experience and training studying at Northeastern University in Boston, simultaneously working in the education department at the Museum of Fine Arts. After graduation, I moved to California and struck creative gold in Oakland, finding everyone is an artist in one form. I found inspiration sparked by my coworkers at the Marvegos Fine Art School and picked up tricks of the trade working at a Blick Art Materials alongside California College of Arts alum, however, my creative process was still somewhat solitary. It wasn’t until I relocated to Big Sur in 2013 that my creative mind’s eye was truly blown open by a group of incredible female artists, some of whom had been painting in Big Sur for 30 years or more. I joined an art class lead by the marvelous Ronna Rio Emmons, and my life has never been the same.
Our group jokes that this class is more of a support group, or cult, or mind-expanding otherworldly experience than just an ‘art class’. The closeness, interconnectedness, and encouragement of this group have been unparalleled in my experience. We cross-pollinate, motivate, empower and inspire one another to an incredible degree. Our work all strives to express our inner visions and the spirit of Big Sur through extraordinary color, innovative composition and unique mark making. We currently share a gallery space on the enthralling Loma Vista property in Big Sur, surrounded by otherworldly cactus gardens, Big Sur Bakery aromas, and the eclectic Mother Botanicals shop. We are grateful to invite visitors and locals alike to experience Big Sur through our visions and to connect patrons with a piece of the vista that can be a window to another world in their home.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The indulgence to create has often required me to wear many ‘hats’ in order to survive financially. I strive to find fulfillment and financial stability through other avenues, so my creative outlets aren’t burdened by a price tag. In addition to attending our gallery, I work at a restaurant, I teach art and gardening at our local school, and I lean an art program for guests at local resorts. All of these other incomes allow me to create freely for the lovely it and not for money.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have been an artist in all media all my life. I focus mainly on oil painting but also love to work with acrylics, watercolor, printmaking, pastels, ceramics and mixed media. The content of my work combines a love for the creative process with an awe for nature and her creative processes. I tend to celebrate the divine feminine in nature and love to create allegory by combining figures with landscape. I’m proud of my perseverance to create while juggling many other responsibilities and relationships. I’m proud to be a part of a supportive and mutually beneficial arts collective and am proud to empower creativity in others-young and old through my teaching.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the power of the Big Sur community as much as I love the power of the natural environment here. There is a devotion to the land and a responsibility to stewardship that pervades our existence here. The connection of the community is as staggering as the dramatic interconnectedness of nature here. I struggle with the overuse of the land we live on and how to reconcile the access to these fragile ecosystems with the education and protection necessary to preserve them. We rely on visitors, and I empathize with so many millions’ desires to connect with this incredible place, but I fear our impact on our ‘wild and lonely’ coast.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: Bigsurartworks.com
- Instagram: Ruby Brown Dudley Artworks
- Facebook: Ruby Brown Dudley Artworks
Image Credits:
1. Pruitt Southview 2. Pfeiffer 3. Orange Earth Energy 4. Cachagua 5. Mandolin 6. Skull with Poppies 7. Skull Expanse 8. Pfeiffer First Cove
