...While Visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia

Beyond My Mountains

Oil on Gessoed MDF Panel

12 x 12

Available through my website

This piece is titled, "Beyond My Mountains." It is from an experience I had while visiting the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. It is meant to depict the feeling of joy when moving through something --whether spiritually or figuratively.

Such an amazing view...

Once we all got out of the car...it was pure perfection.

What was your last "take your breath away" experience?

"Royalty," acrylic figurative © Toni Ruppert

"Royalty" 16x20 Mixed Media on Pine Board
© Toni Ruppert

I wanted to paint some STRONG WOMEN.  I put a post on my Facebook page to see who could pose for me.  One of my long time friends, Pat, replied to me.

It was awesome to see her in person after so many years.  As you can see from the picture, Pat is very stately and beautiful. Deeply spiritual, she has a strong presence about her.

"Pat in Sepia" Photo ©Toni Ruppert

After sketching her that day and taking photos, I could not wait to get home and get a chance to work on it.

I started with a 1/2 inch blank 16x20 pine board which I quickly covered with color. I chose yellow and orange for the underpainting.  Those colors mean fire and energy for me - I wanted to ensure that came out in the final.

As I created “Pat” I made some decisions.  I know you can’t tell from the photo, but I used Sennelier pastels for the back ground.  I loved the effect and sprayed it to hold it.

Underpainting © Toni Ruppert

Progress © Toni Ruppert

I decided to place a silver crown on her and to accentuate the shawl.  Her actual shawl was so  beautiful, I wanted to do it justice.

I chose jewel-like colors to show this.

Playing with the shawl...

I work sometimes by computer. Blowing up the photo on my screen. Yes, my computer is turned on its head. That’s the only way I could rotate the photo just right. It worked....!!

Progress with the computer....

At this point, I slowed way down. I was having such a good time painting “Pat.” I took my time and enjoyed the peace.  At one point, Mike--my husband, took a photo of me painting.  It was like the perfect shot.

"Royalty" in Progress © Mike Ruppert

The next phase was what I call a cruise phase. Adding more and more detail, I painted the face and just played with it.

At the end, I knew it was not completed. I wanted to show a pendant with “something” in it.  I’ve been going through some tough stuff lately and so have some of my friends.  By God's grace, I am sustained.  I was moved to show something to depict what may lay underneath the beauty and composed state. 

I borrowed Norwegian Expressionist Edvard Munch’s painting Der Schrei der Natur (The Scream of Nature) otherwise known as “The Scream.” I painted the actual head screaming as her pendant.


I immediately knew the agonized expression on the face of the pendant was perfect.

Close up of "Royalty" ©Toni Ruppert

Adding the "scream"....

"Royalty" © Toni Ruppert

“Royalty" is now completed and ready to share. For more information about prints of "Royalty” click  to my Fine Art America site.

First Painting of the Year

"Chasm of Unbelief"
©Antonia Lucas-Ruppert
Acrylic, Ink & Pastel on Canvas
8x10

Okay.  So my daughter received a card for her birthday.  The card said she was strong, ambitious and capable.  I was like “Wow” that is what I think about her too. 

This image on the card was so striking that I decided to play around with my own strong imagery.

I am following an amazing book - Flavor for Mixed Media by Mary Beth Shaw.  I found myself playing around with acrylic, oil pastels, soft pastels, mediums and ink. 

I was like “Oh Snap! I get to paint like this?”

After painting this piece, I lovingly handed it to my friends on Facebook who came up with some awesome titles.

• Thinking Way Too Hard
• Looking Inward
• The Dream... Surreal
• Sustenance
• Window of the Soul
• The Chasm of Unbelief

I really appreciate it when I can collaborate with others on things like “titles.”  The title I’m choosing is “Chasm of Unbelief.”  I got chills when my good friend Leanna posted that. 

I chose this title because in reality the red and black mid section of the piece represents all of the obstacles we must go through sometimes in order to come to belief or peace.

(Thanks Leanna.)

New Mixed Media Collage: After the Storm

"After the Storm" ©Toni Ruppert, 5x7 in, Mixed Media Collage on paper
$140

Do you remember learning to ride a bike?  

Recently, my youngest daughter, Imani, could not stop falling as she learned to ride her new bike.  Unsure of how to steer the bike, she kept riding and falling.  The only thing I could teach her to do is to get back up right away.

After watching Imani fall and get back up, I reflected on some life challenges of my own. 
 
The result was this painting, “After the Storm.”  It is a mixed media piece--which means it was created with multiple kinds of media or materials.   

I chose strong colors red, umber and orange simply because I absolutely loved them.  They represent power and strength to me.  I tore paper and added them to the piece - not due to a plan, but due to my desire to explore collage with jagged edges.  And the hearts that are in this piece are my way of representing friendship and intimacy.   

Regardless of how many times I’ve fallen, I’ve managed to get back up with the help of God’s power and my family and friends. 
 
In the bible, Psalm 145:14 says, "The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down."

May my new creation remind you of this.

Eeeeck! I'm Almost Speechless!

"Heart Stuff"  12x12  Mixed Media  ©Toni Ruppert

 I'm so excited.  Words can not express how I feel right now.  I will try though.  Eeeeek!  Wow!  Yes!  (see) The words come out like that.  I'm excited because the show is hung at Chicago's Flourish Studios's Envision Gallery.  It took a lot to get here.

A mere few weeks ago, I was floundering with this new direction for my personal artwork.  Painting was flourishing in my commission work, but nothing was coming forth in my personal work.  I knew I wanted to talk about healing from fragmented relationships--healing from brokenness.  But it would not come out like I wanted to.  I was surrounded by prayer, paint jars, glue muslin, wood panels, and etc.  All the stuff I'd use to make my pieces.  Enter my success team.

I joined a success team lead by Eileen Kerlin Walsh.  (Look out world--here comes Eileen!)  My success team encouraged me and one of them literally said "Create two panels this week."  I was like, "Okay." After doing this for a time--my goal was in sight.

"Behind Her Smile"  12x12  Mixed Media  ©Toni Ruppert

In Teamworks, author Barbara Sher says, "A Success Team will keep you going, steadily, step by step, week after week...until one day...you arrive right in the middle of your goal." That's what my team did for me.  Further, when I hit a snag with my frames, one of my team mates personally made them according to my specifications.

So...you see words cannot express how I'm feeling. My hope is that whatever you're working on these days will have you so excited --you too will be (almost) speechless!

I invite you to comment (use whatever words you want) on your own creative project or on how you're utilizing a team to making your ideas/dreams happen.