Ruth Crone Foster have since 2004 helped numerous clients communicate their visions by designing fashion clothes, prints, making illustrations for fashion magazines, organizing store decorations, creating graphical artwork for campaigns and much more. I have had the pleasure to meet the creative superwoman and ask her some questions:
You can visit her gallery here
How did you get interested in art?
Working in a field of different assignments it gives opportunities to have a broad perspective and combined with my curiosity for the underlying influences of trends I have felt it to be a natural interest. Today noting is really new, it is merely a repetition of some earlier version of history.
How would you describe your style?
More is more – less is a bore. I love saturated artwork where your brain keeps getting surprised with new elements every time you look at it. This is what I try to do with my artwork.
For some time now it has been “trendy” having a lot of frames hanging on the wall. Filled with different types of artwork. I wish for some interesting pieces of art to pop up amongst these stereotype frames.This is why I made my “Plate series”. A tribute to my old grandmother who used to hang plates on the wall. It has been a very popular thing to do for the past hundred years, so I wanted to create a piece for the modern home. See all her artworks
What are your sources of inspiration?
Everything from the pattern on the toilet paper, to the colour of the night sky. I take a lot of pictures with my phone and gather inspiration.
Due to my background in fashion design I have experience with following trends, this can be perceived both in a good and a bad way regarding art. I choose to view it in a good way. I get bored rather fast and new trends are like waves of new ideas and opportunities. I use my artwork as a playful and creative outlet where I can try fun stuff. I am very serious about my freelance business, so the need to do some crazy shit once in a blue moon is omnipresent for me.
How is the creation process for you?
During the process, I use my intuition a lot. Alongside with my daily work, I save pictures when I stumble across something I find interesting. Even though I don´t know how to fit some of the pictures together or if I even will want to use them. When the time comes for me to dive into the folders filled with inspirational pictures I choose the ones I react most to, this then forms my theme and it is like an avalanche from there on out. It is like making a puzzle. I start with a little piece of something and at some time I reach the end.
What are your favourite materials to work with?
Collages are the center of my chosen art form. If I was to be known for one thing l would want it to be for “ putting together the pieces”. ¨I love working with paper and spray paint. As an old graffiti painter, I can´t seem to let go of the excitement of holding a can of paint.
This piece is granit spray paint on background mixed with collage paper and gold foil. 70 cm x 50 cm. Made on 250 gr. paper
Who is your favourite artist?
Picasso is a great inspiration for me. Not so much his individual work but more the fact that he fearlessly threw himself at new technics, which led his path through ceramics, sculpture, painting, prints and drawing. When embracing the new art forms he still maintained a great deal of his own touch/style and rebelness and was not afraid to do things in what was see as the wrong way.
What is the best advice given to you as an artist?
This is not advice given to me but some I would like to pass on. Hard work gets you everywhere. Never think for a moment that you can ride along on success on talent alone. Talent helps, but you have to be willing to put your back into it and put in the hours.
What are you most proud of in your life?
The fact that I am able to see both sides of arguments/feelings. Empathy plays a great role in being able to communicate the desires of my clients. If I wasn´t able to put my self in other peoples position I would be lacking the skill to connect.
Do you have any new projects going on?
At the moment I am testing weaving with paper, choosing two pieces of paper with I have filled with different textures, colours and pictures and seeing how they fit together and bounce off each other. Explore all her artwork
