Ruth Crotty

Ruth Crotty, a resident of Saratoga Springs, New York, painted since she received her first box of oil paints at age 10. She continued her interest in art, and majored in painting at the Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, PA where she received a BFA in 1969. She is comfortable using all painting mediums, but prefers watercolor and oil. She is now exploring gouache as a medium. For Ruth, the process of using paint is as important as her subjects. She wants the viewer to see the directional brush strokes of oil, and the fluidness and transparency of watercolor.

Ruth’s Plein Air paintings are a response to the environment around her, specifically a time and place. As the sun moves across the sky, the scene is constantly changing with new highlights and shadows, creating new compositions composed of the shifting colors and shapes. The exception is a gray day, where the light barely moves. Those soft days have a magic all of their own, with saturated color juxtaposed to the neutral grays.  

The nuances of light and their impact on color and texture are what intrigue her, creating a mood, challenging her to capture it, then pass the feeling on to the viewer.

Ruth has painted and shown in upstate New York since 1992. Originally from New City, New York, she has lived in Saratoga County for 53 years, and belongs to art councils and organizations in Saratoga, Albany, Warren and Franklin Counties. She regularly participates in group, gallery and juried shows, and has won many awards.

To see Ruth’s resume go to her website @ www.ruthchristiecrotty