Ruth Hamill Visual artist working across painting, printmaking and collage.
Mixed Bunch, 38x23 inches, gouache-painted paper collage on gampi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Orange Lilies, 42x23 inches, painted paper collage on Japanese gampi paper

Orange Lilies, 42x23 inches, painted paper collage on Japanese gampi paper

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

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

Working across painting, printmaking and collage, with this work I explore transience in contemporary life through the pervasive symbol of 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.

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. This series of still life collages built from 500 to more than 2000 of pieces of gouache-painted paper.