From an original background of Fine Art, Chris Ruston enjoys working with paper and ink, producing both paintings and artists books. Her images are created by allowing an interplay between the random mark, and the directed hand. Starting with a loose idea, her approach allows the fluid technique of working wet into wet to play a part in guiding the direction of the work. This is a process which can only be partially controlled. Repeating similar marks offers a variety of results. Sometimes the joy of a random mark is enough, while at other times the piece becomes layered, holding and containing a moment of time.
Recent work has been concerned with aspects of our changing climate. Chris is particularly interested in what is happening to the ice caps. Her work seeks to express more than her personal story, and reaches out to border aspects of life and the environment. The idea of incorporating Earth's story is a constant thread through her work. A number of themes are revisited and explored; all share this common link - a celebration of the natural world, and of the human spirit. Her work invites the viewer to follow, and to pay close attention to the world around them.
