Woolaroc Show Catalog 2024

VANESSA RUSCZYK WAOW ASSOCIATE

VANESSA RUSCZYK’S award-winning portraits of flowers and plants give viewers a close look at plant structure and natural design, immersing them in that small world on a large scale. Her paintings are inspired by hikes and road trips, along with the native plant species she grows in her garden. Vanessa was raised in New Mexico, and after eight years on the East Coast she returned to the West she loves. She lives in North San Diego County, surrounded by wild chaparral hillsides that define much of Southern California and provide daily inspiration. While focusing on native plants of California started her art career, her subject matter has broadened to the vast landscapes of western America. Trips to canyon country of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico inspire new works that aim to give a sense of vast space inhabited by resilient plant life. Paintings begin with a brightly colored underpainting that is followed by thin layers of more realistic color to create vibrant depictions of the natural subject matter. Her work draws people in because of the color, composition, and technique, but then as the viewer takes a closer look, they start asking questions about the subject matter itself. Appreciation and the desire to care for something usually starts with an initial attraction that is often hard to explain. Vanessa’s art creates that moment for the viewer. Vanessa is also a Signature Member of American Women Artists.

VANESSA RUSCZYK www.studiosoledad.com

Banana Yucca at Georgia’s, Oil, 48” x 24” $4,700 The Banana Yuccas (Yucca baccata) were in full bloom during a week I spent at Casa del Sol on the Ghost Ranch property in summer of 2022. The location in the painted desert area of Georgia O’Keeffe’s summer home inspired the title. One can imagine her walking out during the setting sun, the colors of the landscape deepening as the yucca blossoms glow with the last light of day.

78