Ruth Hamill Ruth Hamill is a visual artist working across painting, printmaking and collage to explore transience in contemporary life through pervasive symbols such as ocean waves and cut flowers.
mixed bunch, 38x23 inches

Mixed Bunch, 38x23 inches, gouache-painted paper collage on gampi, 2022

seventeen tulips, 36x38 inches

Seventeen Tulips, 36x38 inches, gouache-painted paper collage on gampi, 2023

orange and pink lillies, 43x23 inches

Orange and Pink Lillies, 43x23 inches, gouache-painted paper collage on gampi, 2023

twenty-six tulips, 37x33 inches

Twenty-six Tulips, 37x33 inches, gouache-painted paper collage on gampi, 2023

red tulips, 39x26 inches

Red Tulips, 39x26 inches, gouache-painted paper collage on gampi, 2023

mixed bunch, 41x27 inches

Mixed Bouquet, 41x27 inches, gouache-painted paper collage on gampi, 2023

roses and hydrangea, 38x22 inches

Roses and Hydrangea, 38x22 inches, gouache-painted paper collage on gampi, 2023

Iris, 40x23

Iris, 40x23 inches, gouache-painted paper collage on gampi, 2023

yellow lillies, 41x32 inches

Yellow Lillies, 41x32 inches, gouache-painted paper collage on gampi, 2023

Working across painting, printmaking and collage, I explore transience in contemporary life through pervasive symbols such as cut flowers. I push the vibrancy of color to be worthy of the reality of the beauty of a vase of simple cut flowers. Though appearing full of life, vased flowers are undeniably transient, cut from their life source and decaying constantly.

The way I create is a rebellion against today’s all consuming virtual and busy-busy culture. I slow down, embracing tactile and colorful materiality, layer by layer. Recent work includes this series of still life collages built from 500 to more than 2000 of pieces of gouache-painted paper.