Rut Brea's Story
All we know about our subscribers is the name they provide and an approximate area that their email is registered to which may or may not be where they reside.
All we know about you - our subscribers - is that we share an interest in art: some of you are professional artists, others are dedicated artists but not necessarily part of the commercial scene, still more of you have never engaged in creating a piece of art work but are passionate about having art in your daily life and love to see, appreciate and learn about others who do work to create.
Occasionally we get engaged by someone who yearned to create from a very young age but through life's circumstances this was not possible. I have a friend in this category: she is a brilliant drawer and painter but was not allowed to study art as a young adult and was forced into an occupation where she would be financially comfortable. Occasionally however she will produce a painting for her family endorsing my belief that you can't take the artist out of the soul. You might not be able to practise your love of art every day but it is always alive deep inside.
A little while ago Rut in Arizona joined us as a subscriber and as happens with some subscribers a correspondence between us began. Rut then sent me a sample of some of her art work which we always love to see. She had saved on her phone photos of works she had created for her family some years back and would now like to share with other people who also love art.
I am sure you will agree with me that Rut is a very talented artist with the ability to capture the essence of a person's inner personality. These are very beautiful and interesting paintings with many different perspectives evident especially in the painting at the bottom of those on the far left. I look at these paintings and want to know more about the artist's thinking and motivation.
I will let Rut share some aspects of her life with you so that we can get to know her a little better and begin to understand how important to her is a passion to paint.
Rut tells us that: I was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in January 30, 1948. I came to USA in 1962 New York, because of the revolution when the dictator Trujillo was assassinated. My family were in danger, my older sister was married to an Airforce captain. He had been taken prisioner and murdered by the Dominican CIA. USA opened their arms to receive us. It's kind of long story, but I was 13 when Trujillo was murdered.
My 1st painting was a woman sitting and holding the Dominican flag where I wrote: "Now we are free". The canvas I used was from a picture of Trujillo where the following was written: "In this house Trujillo is the Master".
My mom destroyed the painting. I think she was afraid for her family.
The paintings are my family and I keep them for that reason. Most of the others I give away. I have a passion for painting, this is what keeps me going. I am alone in Arizona, no family. Most of the living are old and sick. I am not healthy, at 75 I don't think I am going to live long. My intentions to leave my paintings to the world. You told me the paintings are somewhat interesting. Well, maybe can they can be a gift for the future generations.
I have a foto of my paintings on my phone that I would like to share with you.... My niece, my mother and brother who passed away three years ago, and me when I was 22 years old. My mom, dressed in pink, I painted in 1969, I was younger then.
I was always drawing when I was a child. But we were poor. I went to the conservatory of music and took piano lessons. It was free. But when the revolution started, all dreams and desires were lost in me until I came to USA. In New York I went to New York School of Music to continue piano lessons. But later on I had to stop and go to work to help my mom.
The girl in yellow is my niece.
I always loved her personality. This painting I did some years ago, she went on her honeymoon to Dominican Republic, and was taken from a photograph of her. I loved it and finally passed it on to oils.
And below is a self portrait when I was 22 years.
I didn't take art classes until I worked for Bankers Trust. It was just a semester, I had to work. Not until I retired, I could start painting again. I took a semester here at the Mesa Art Center in Mesa, A.Z. from then on I continued painting until today when I came to Arizona 16 years ago.
This is my brother.
I paint mostly portraits, but also have some florals and other things, whatever comes to my mind. I have painted many other paintings in the past years but I usually give them away, just to make people happy.
This painting of the winged warrior (as shown below) was an inspiration from a vision me, my mom and sister had when I was 3 years old. In Dominican Republic is customary to take afternoon "siesta". My Mom had placed me on my crib and my sister on her bed in another room. Mom and I woke up with my sister screaming there were two eyes on fire. As we opened our eyes we saw the Archangel intervention. The balls of fire on his back. I always wanted to put this vision on Canvas.
Right now I'm doing some illustrations in watercolor for my neighbor's cat. But I usually work on oils. I give away my paintings...
I am writing a children's book of all my childhood adventures ... the book is more like a memoir of my childhood while growing up before the revolution.
Thank you to Rut Margot Brea de la Vega who kindly gave permission for the images of her work to be shared on AnArt4Life.
And a very special thank you Rut for being so willing to share such personal aspects of your life and for us to see some of your beautiful paintings where you talent is very obvious. We look forward to seeing more paintings by you - especially of your neighbour's cat! And of course we would love to know more about the children's book you are writing. Thank you for being one of our very special subscribers.