Photo by Artists Daughter
In the Studio with Ruby Vartan
What does a day in your art practice look like?
I wake up looking at my art and I start my day with the inspiration of what comes next with a new day. I close my eyes at night gazing at them that gives me the motivation to move onward for what’s next. Creating and living in the same space is indispensable for a productive and creative lifestyle. I usually paint at night more than daytime. It makes me contemplate about my art and takes me to deeper layers. I find myself dancing with music before and while painting. It completes the body expression. I tend to release an overflow of emotions. Motion and speed innovate creativity in me, and stir a powerful energy that runs out from my veins to work. My creative process includes painting, tracing my body contour and printing it with paint on canvas. It’s surprising how the flow untwines effortlessly.
What would life be like without Art?
Life doesn’t exist without art. I’m either thinking about art, creating art, and living in ways that nourish my art. Art is the air I need to breathe, the sunshine I need to bathe in. It’s the ultimate passion and reason for my existence. Art is not part of me, it is me, it is in me.
What is the hardest part of creating your art?
The hardest part I could say is not to leave a gap and take a short pause. But then again I think that the pause often upgrades me to a new dimension with new emotions eager to express myself with.
What inspires you?
The passion for my art inspires me mostly. The urge to create and give to the world gives me inspiration. I also feel inspired all the time. At the moment of creating inspiration is always lit in me, ready to take shape and form and color and life.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
If I were to turn back time I would definitely make myself create more pieces of art. To put more time on making art by moving faster than time itself. I’d also advise myself not to fall in love. Art is more important than losing your reality.
Who would you like to collaborate with?
I’d pick Judy Chicago to collaborate with if I had the chance. Being a woman in the Arts I find similarities in her art and mine. It will be very interesting to see how both voices can come together in harmony and raise a higher tone in expressing feminism and the role of women in art and culture. Woman, the life bearer, the survivor, the lover, the mother, the teacher, the warrior and the list goes on and on. A personal dialogue of the feminine body and mind through the form of art. I would love to bring together two similar women forces working differently in technique but a common message to the world.
What is the best you have been given?
I’ve been lucky enough to be advised by good mentors and I still do use consultation. What’s been very helpful through my path is to be true to myself and intuition. To create for the sake of art with complete freedom.
How have personal experiences influenced your creativity?
My personal experiences have influenced my art immensely. They fuel my drive in creativity, by finding channels to be expressed into works of art. I’ve dedicated one series called My Story, to life experiences and how they shaped me. Each work is titled in Parts, as in books. The opposite poles; pleasure and pain is expressed through tears and laughter and both are the strongest emotion movers. Although there’s a healing and curing mechanism in creating art, I still can’t say I create to save myself. It surely adds more spice to the taste though. Having had many emotionally & physically traumatic experiences in my life, Pain has definitely found a comprehensive language with my art. Nevertheless, passion to create and my dreams have become sources to my leaps of change from one stage to the other.
What do you wish to accomplish with your art?
I’d like to leave a mark of existence with my art in the art world, a change that would impact what might follow it.
I want to communicate and touch viewers with my artworks, since they come from an emotional outburst they would raise emotions to the viewer and help understand their own emotions.
You can see more of Ruby’s work on her website: https://www.rubyvartan.com/ or follow her on social media: @rubyvartan
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