I want art to show me something, to tell me where I’m at, even if it’s hell.
-Darryl Van Horne
Humboldt County artist, Sheena Ruchte, is a representational oil painter focused on plein air and studio landscapes, still life, portraiture, and figurative work. Each painting captures the experience of a place or subject, from the quality of light to emotions evoked. Dynamic conditions of plein-air painting influence brushwork, line, and color that reflect the serenity and joy of painting outdoors. The mood of her work tends toward melancholy, with tension in contrast, balancing stark lines with soft blends and precision with spontaneity. While surreal elements can be found in her art, she stays grounded in representational work as the allure of details pulls her into a subject.
Each painting has its own way of evolving…. When the painting is finished, the subject reveals itself.
-William Baziotes
When not in the studio, the artist enjoys hiking and camping. She combines her love of the outdoors with her art through painting en plein air, from landscapes to architecture. She carries a small pochade box so she can do her favorite thing in her favorite places. The enjoyment of this magnificent world can only be heightened with a paintbrush in hand.
The distance is not great to worlds of magnificent joy or nowhere.
Kenneth Patchen
Sheena Ruchte 