I am an Earth Artist and Writer living in Northern California. I am surrounded by the inspirations of Nature and the innate energy of Life inherent in it. Using natural minerals into paints and eco-friendly products I create art influenced by cave art of Europe and Australia as well as the roots of ancient languages appearing as signs and pictographs. This is what generates my creativity.
Join us for a dual-gallery artist talk, beginning at The Center for the Arts on Main St. in Grass Valley with Jude Bischoff to discuss his show “Wet & Wild” and ending at Nevada City Winery on Spring St. with Jennifer Rugge to discuss her show “Whispers Across the Land”. Both of these artists base their work in nature with entirely different results. Each artist will lead guests through their respective exhibitions to explore the inspirations and processes behind the creation of their work. Both venues will have the bars open with light snacks provided. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to ask the artists questions and become inspired! FREE! Friday, January 13, 2023 beginning at 5 pm at the Center for the Arts with Jude Bischoff, then traveling to Nevada City Winery with Jennifer Rugge Talk to start at 6:30. Enjoy an evening of Art and their stories.
Hear Jude and Jennifer on KVMR Radio 9:30 am Thursday, January 12.
November through January 15, Solo Art Exhibition: Opening Reception December 9, 5:30 – 7:30 pm.
Talk: January 13, 5:30 pm, in Art Gallery
Whispers…sometimes silent, sometimes bold. I Am an Earth Artist and my Art comes from listening for these whispers. Nature is their voice. When I collect and prepare minerals from the earth to make paints or clay slips, I want to listen and to feel what is spoken. The ochres bring life, messages, and inspirations to my Art. Whether in clay or across a canvas, figures of ancient animals emerge along with signs and symbols of early languages. The ochres refine and define the whispers from the Ancestral winds of the earth, a past that belongs to us and one that speaks to us. We are the earth keepers and the earth drivers.
Whispers are the deeper meanings and mysteries of the Ancients which appear in the images to describe what has been, but also what can be. As a lifelong artist and my relentless interest in historical roots, digging into the ancient past and early languages, all have led me on an intriguing journey to uncover forgotten times, stories and paths. These mysteries reveal clear intelligence and spiritual practices through their art and signs; these are the components that emerge in my Art.
Prospector Magazine: Union Newspaper November 30, 2022
Wind Crossing, 48 x 48″ Natural mineral paints with charcoal and gold leaf on handmade papers over wood.
December 9 – 11: Art Opening Reception at Hat Ranch Gallery
Ravens Magic: Ancestral Passages – 12.5 x 11.5 x 4″d Cone 5 Porcelain, underglazes, Natural ochre paints
Come visit the gallery shows as you are able and closest to do. Art is the essential element we all need whatever that creative aspect may feel to be…to paint, sculpt, perform or sing… Enjoy Art!
Opening Reception at The Center for the Arts, Main St. Grass Valley, CA. Thursday October 6, 5-7 pm in the Granucci Gallery and where the Exhibition of participating Artists is located: September 16 – October 22, 2022
For more information: openstudiostour.org
It has been an amazing journey through sharing Art. This Year marks 5 years participating in the Open Studios Tour of West Nevada County in California. Originally focusing only on painting with natural earth paints, eco-friendly products and applications, I now have been able to add a special love to work in clay. It has been challenging at times… yet, I am finding ways to still work in an earth conscious process. I enjoy searching and finding raw clays and ochres to use in my sculptures. One of fourteen Cultural Districts of California, Nevada County offers several diverse artists with their unique approaches to Art in this tour. Guide books are available at studios and at The Center for the Arts.
Sometimes ideas come at you and when you act on them amazing things open up. I was rolling out slabs of clay, then letting them set up while I took some sketched ideas from my notebook to inspect. But suddenly, I saw something else emerging from the clay… and it pulled at my attention. Deer Ochre was rising into view. I worked excitedly yet steadily letting each part wait its turn to be shaped and placed. Several days later Deer Ochre was in front of me sitting quietly on the work table. The antlers twisting behind its extended head and the face…yes the slender nose and those curious eyes. “Red ochre,” spoke. “Place it on the head.” That’s right, the raw ochre from the earth. And so, red ochre appeared to set gingerly upon its head while a look of silly contentment slipped onto its face. Its long legs stretched down its length and more ochre was scattered around the hooves which set upon an edge of flowing grasses and a fluttering blue bird. “Whispers and roots from Olden Rein” rose curiously swirling about the stone-dried clay. Ancient words from times gone but are here now.
Deer Ochre, Whispers and Roots, from Olden Rein
20″x10″x5″ Totem, 2022 $1200
Ceramic: Wire, black oxide and under-glaze, natural ochres
You can view “Deer Ochre, Whispers and Roots, from Olden Rein” at Blue Line Arts Gallery, Roseville CA, in the “Off Center” Ceramic Art work exhibition and on-line. The show is from July 23 to September 17, 2022. You are invited to attend the Opening Reception August 20, 4 – 8 pm.
The Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento CA has been a favorite place to roam. With rooms filled with varieties of Art works, from the ancient to present day, there is something you can find that intrigues, resonates and inspires. I particularly enjoy the ancient pieces. They inspire me and spark curiosity. How were these made? What inspired the artists? Why did they use these particular materials? This year I donated a piece of Art to help raise money for future programs and events, to keep the Crocker Art Museum for everyone to enjoy.
Big Names, Small Art On-line bidding is OPEN now until June 4
Discover small works (12 x12 in. or less) in all media from emerging and established artists. Bidding starts at $25 per piece regardless of fair market value. BNSA ends Saturday, June 4, with one artwork closing every minute starting at 1 PM! Click below to view my donated Art Piece. This is a 9 x 12″ painting with natural mineral paints & gold leaf on handmade papers over wood.
“Fertile Ground” is the theme presented by the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) Conference which takes place March 16-19 2022 in Sacramento. Myself along with 7 other ceramic artists will be exhibiting our works in Roseville, at 316 Vernon St, through Blue Line Arts which is one of the NCECA hosting galleries. A shuttle bus is available during the conference with Blue Line Arts as one of its stops that it serves for the greater Sacramento area.
Sierra Foothills Clay Arts, NCECA Conference March 16-19 2022
Artists represented in this exhibition of the Sierra Foothills Clay Arts are:
We live and maintain our studios in Nevada County, in the Sierra foothills. Through the established organization, Artists Studios In the Foothills (ASIF) owned by Amanda Paoletti, we have gathered together to share and exhibit our clay works. We each bring to this group a variety of unique skills, techniques and approaches to clay forms and processes. Enjoy the video. All are welcome to visit the gallery exhibitions.
Dates to Remember:
Saturday, March 5 – Friends and Family Soft Opening 1-5 pm; Art Demonstrations 11-2 pm.
Thursday, March 17 – NCECA Reception at Blue Line Arts and Sierra College Gallery (diagonally across the street from Blue Line, 316 Vernon St.) 5-9 pm.
SFCA Exhibition is up February 19 – May 31 open 9 am – 5 pm, closed Sundays
Posting has been a challenge. The day after Christmas we lost power. My studio stood silent while we worked to clear snow and build fires in the fireplace to keep warm. Internet has been down as well so I decided to put a blog post together and visit the Library to get access to the internet to post it to my website…already an adventurous opening to the New Year.
With so much snow and rain this winter already, I enjoy the silence and mystery of frozen white-scapes meandering through our woods, and then, setting up quietly to create different pieces of art in my studio. Less time is spent in the field collecting and making pigments. But it is a good time to pit-fire outdoors to add color and textures to clay surfaces. This year there are several opportunities to share my Art and I look forward to seeing what develops in the studio, from clay sculptures to natural pigment paintings.
January offers the annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival from the 13th to the 17th in Nevada City, California with its celebration of Art interpretations expressing a variety of perspectives on environmental activism. I have entered pieces in two categories, sculpture and painting.
One of my paintings entitled “Remember: Hope from Our Ancient Ancestral Roots”, received one of the festival’s “Judges Award”. It is exhibited along with other award-winning artworks at Fable’s Coffee, located at 233 Broad Street, where the artists also will talk about their work on Saturday, January 15, 9:45-10:15 am. All artists accepted into the Festival are also included on the Wild and Scenic Website in the Artists Pages and Gallery of the Virtual Art Exhibition and is available until January 30.
Remember: Hope from Our Ancient Ancestral Roots
Cave painters recorded the animals that surrounded them, and reindeer were a popular and important subject…possibly the hope of more to come and to survive more than a lifetime.
Other accepted Art include: Bearing Hope, Hope for the Mountain Lion, Of Wild Horses, Stories of Hope Come to Be
February will be a busy time packed with more painting and organizing of sculptures for two major activities in March.
The first is Thursday March 10 when I will be doing an artist talk for the Sun City Artists Group about my art processes and techniques through demonstration and examples.
Then March 16-19 brings the internationally known “National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, 2022” (NCECA) conference to Sacramento. Our local group of artists, Sierra Foothills Clay Arts, will be exhibiting clay sculpture and functional ceramics at 316 Vernon St. in Roseville, across from Blueline Arts who will be organizing, hanging, and handling all sales of our works.
Of Wild Horses: Red ochre, wire, black iron oxide and pit fired
April is a travel month this year. We hope to be able to visit family and friends in the east, and check out some art possibilities… ochre stops, artists and galleries.
Enjoy the adventures waiting to be… Let life inspire, lead and find magic all around.
Ancient Reindeer roamed and traveled over grasslands, through forests and across snow covered terrains…keeping watch, following past trails, holding together to find food, water, and best places to shelter. It is amazing and a lesson for us all how these ancient creatures survived throughout time, just like other incredibly adaptable animals, including man. Such resilience, determination and instinct! I am increasingly in awe of a piece of cave art “the Swimming Stags” of Lascaux in France. The reindeer are drawn showing mainly the heads of each as if to be crossing or passing over an area where the whole animal cannot be seen. The colors of the cave walls are subtle shades of light to deep browns to black lines, yet the deer are distinct and appear to be moving with a driven motive to keep going forward. Therefore, several paintings and clay sculptures have emerged from this influential cave art as well as its significance.
Remember: Hope from our Ancestral Roots, 24×48″
Here I brought in the subtle colors tweaked with a bit of turquoise and red ochres. Papers, washes, and palette knife along with charcoal add to the layers over the wood surface creating different textures. With determination and focus the ancient deer “cross over”.
Crossing Over, 24×24″Spirit of Playful Ancestral Horse, Totem (2 piece) with Crackle slip and yellow ochre, 16×9″ on metal base
Small Works Gallery
New on the website is a “Small Works Gallery” with affordable original Art. Enjoy a stroll through the gallery pieces. See what captures your interest, tells a story and brings attention to a message or a resonance with-in. Find the signs, the subtleties or details. Some have 3-d reliefs. Enjoy!
Holiday Shows at ASIF Gallery, Grass Valley
This year I am participating in a “Small Works” Holiday Show, ASIF Artists’ Studio and Gallery. Both paintings and clay sculptures will be available here from November 13- December 18. All Art works are 12×12″ or smaller. All are welcome to come to the two openings: November 12, 5-7 pm and December 4, 11 am – 4 pm.
Saturday Gift Shopping: Our gallery will be open EVERY SATURDAY 11am – 4pm starting NOVEMBER 13 – DECEMBER 18
Wow! It is wonderful to have the opportunity to share my Art space once again. I have been able to exhibit my work and interact with people with the Covid mandates in place through Galleries, exhibitions and group shows. This year Art will be displayed outside in our garden and among our trees of the forest. The Pit Fire is quiet for now as we are still in “fire season”, but is open to viewing along with demonstrations in painting with natural pigments, the processes I use, and the exciting advances made with my sculptures. You are welcome to tour the Art, ask questions, and enjoy the atmosphere.
New works stem from the theme “Unmasked: Becoming Visible.” The process of my art is one of being unmasked and becoming visible. I Am an Earth Artist and so I collect, study and prepare minerals from the earth to make paints for my artwork. These ochres are ground, mixed with walnut oil and softened beeswax, and the true colors become visible. Charcoal graces the panel as figures of ancient animals emerge along with signs and symbols of early languages. The ochres refine and define the whispers from the Ancestral winds that the earth has experienced before, a past that belongs to us.
Unmasked are the deeper meanings and mysteries of the Ancients which appear in the images that become visible. As a lifelong artist and my relentless interest in historical roots, digging into the ancient past has led me on an intriguing journey to uncover forgotten times, stories and paths. These mysteries reveal clear intelligence and spiritual practices through their art and signs; these become visible through inspirations that emerge from and into my Art. The signs of the past become the visible signs of now.
Please join me for the the 2nd and 3rd weekends in October for Nevada County’s Open Studio Tour.
I have been working diligently in my studio this past spring and also had the pleasure of participating in on-line Art shows and events. In April I added another gallery to show my work, the “Bronze, Silver and Gold Gallery,” located in Cambria, CA which is right on the Pacific coast between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is a beautiful area and a great destination to visit.
Elephant Seals sun-bathing near Cambria
At the new gallery
Signs of Our Ancestors
Here are my Upcoming Events for this Summer and Fall:
1. Blue Line Arts in Roseville, CA, “Eco-Centric” Art Show
Front window gallery at 405 Vernon St. #100
Opening Reception June 19, 5 – 8 pm through July 10.
2. Nevada City Winery:
This exhibition is all new work, both paintings and sculptures reflecting our ancient ancestors and early signs and symbols of languages; in natural earth ochres and mineral paints; pit-fired clay sculptures.
Stories that Come into Be-ing
Joy With-in the Heart Exists Love
“Westono – wolf “
3. Nisenan-CHIRP Uba-Seo Gallery, “Visibility Through Art”
225 Broad St. Nevada City, CA. July 10 to August 29 This is a project containing 12 wood panels covered with handmade papers that are painted with ochres and charcoal. Each 10×10″ panel has a number and animals written in the Nisenan language. Prints will be available at the opening and during gallery hours. This photo shows work in progress. All sales go to the support of the CHIRP foundation (California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project) chirpca.org
4. Open Studios Art Tour – October 9, 10, 16 & 17… more to come.
I enjoy sharing my artwork and my processes. Please identify yourself when you may visit any one or more of these events. I always enjoy hearing from you and celebrating with my followers, collectors and fellow artists.
Jennifer Rugge 