This week we interviewed Bucks County artist and long time art enthusiast, Ilene Rubin. We are truly amazed at her prolific portfolio of work in only six years.  At last count, we tallied fifty three acrylics, eight oils, nine pastels, thirty eight watercolors, thirteen drawings of significant nature. And that does not begin to cover all of the decorative art pieces created for Black Cat Treasures, which is what the artist does for fun. Ha! Some fun, huh? Furniture, tiles, boxes, plaques, and custom commissions.

We spoke with the artist about this abundant portfolio.

Int: When you think about the amount of pieces you’ve created how does it make you feel?

Ms. Rubin: Grateful. I am able to devote time to this endeavor which is my heart’s delight. I am given the latitude and the support of my sweet husband who allows me the space, time and supplies to create. So while I can talk about how I feel about the actual creating part, it would not be anything without the gratitude I feel.

Int: But we counted the amount of pieces you’ve created and it’s astounding in six short years. How do you account for that?

Ms. Rubin: Well, I’m learning a craft so there will be many in the practice of that craft. Most are not what I would call good, some are, and a very few reach a mark that I say illustrate my potential. As to the actual number of them and how I’ve managed to produce them, I believe that it comes from inspiration and the support of those who let me explore that side of my nature.

Int: Speaking of which, where do you find your inspiration?

Ms. Rubin: I see it every day. It’s all around me, everywhere I look, everywhere I go. I see it in the way a mother holds an infant, in the smiles of children at play, I see it in the way sunlight moves through a tree or changes the color of a lawn, I see it in the top tips of leafless trees that catch the sun. I see it in the movement on a city street or on the ripples of a river from high above on a bridge. I see it in the flight of hawks and the prancing of young does. It’s everywhere. I see it in books of paintings of the masters. Nature, great artists, my environment, my eyes and my heart offer me inspiration every single day. Then there’s the spiritual part of inspiration that is so teeming with creativity all around us. And finally, from my teachers. I’ve had wonderful teachers. Lillian Kennedy, Teresa Smith, Jane Friday, James Feehan, Amanda Layre, Donna McCafferty. All of these are teachers that I would recommend wholeheartedly. They are my inspiration as well.

Int: Do you have specific themes that you create from?

Ms. Rubin: Yes and no. Since there are certain aspects of my personality that beg creation more than others then those themes repeat. I tend to create the same scene in multiple mediums because they resonate with me and offer a different visual pleasure in a varied medium. I might feel more proficient that day if I create that same scene in a pastel over acrylic or drawing. It really depends on what I feel. As for specific themes, I am moved by landscapes which I see around me. I very much believe in creating that which I know for therein is the feeling of oneness and connectivity. I cannot create anything that I don’t feel something for, some affinity. Otherwise it may as well be an abstract but I’m not an abstract painter. I want to paint what I feel is beautiful and moving to me, so it’s got to already have seeped into my being on an emotional level in order for me to bring it to life on canvas. And when that happens, it’s almost automatic.

So I like landscapes for that reason. Someone in another locale may not appreciate the environment I’ve created unless they let it into their hearts first, then their minds and psyche. Then they get it. A person who has never been to a place may not recognize the accomplishment of the creation of that environment unless they trust that I recorded the most beautiful aspect of it that I possibly could. I can paint anything but choose to paint a place that you can walk into and feel like you can turn right and see what’s there, or, turn left and know what you will see. Those are the places I love to paint. And it recurs with each road I paint and each river and bridge and barn and field. As for people and florals, it’s the perfection of a moment or emotion that inspires me to grab my brushes and I’m always after that quality of light and beauty that still surprises me even after all I know and have seen. There is still beauty in the world. We just need to recognize it when it’s presented to us.

Int: Does that mean that you don’t consider abstract art pure feeling or valid creation?

Ms. Rubin: That’s not what that means at all. To me, It means that abstract art doesn’t resonate for me and so I can’t feel a connection to it. Because of that I don’t feel it would be indicative of what inspires me and therefore be very good art or the best that I can create. There’s terrific abstract art but that’s just not my thing. Abstract artists probably feel as drawn to the pure feeling of joy of creating their art as I do when I am creating my art. But it would be like saying that a surgeon can do dentistry. He may be able to but it wouldn’t be his forte and so it might show in the finished product.

Int: What’s next for you? Do you think you’ll be painting in twenty years?

Ms. Rubin. Haha, that’s two questions. What’s next is I have a very deep desire to share my art so I will put it out there and see what happens. That’s the first thing. Then, I never want to stop learning, so when I can afford it I take classes with people who understand the process and have been a great inspiration to me through their own art or through their deep respect for teaching and what that means in a giving way to their students.

Int: What does that mean, the giving way?

Ms. Rubin: It means that not all teachers understand the symbiosis of the transfer of knowledge and how it’s a deep connection, a flow from one to another almost like a gift. A teacher can teach method or process but if there is no connection no bond can be made. Without that bond the information may be there but for me it lays flat and I can only continue to absorb to a point. If there becomes a deep abiding respect and curiosity then the teacher and the taught resonates and the student can blossom within that light. It’s a very rich experience for both. Those teachers that only offer the technique on the surface will see students come and go in great number even if they have a great career teaching. But I wonder at the longevity of the sessions without some connection on a deeper level. Some will become better artists but more from their own tenacity than from a deep integration of the teacher’s inner innate ability to open up a student to their own well of knowledge, ability and talent. Those teachers may still be great teachers but the former type are very rare indeed and once found, they are the teachers that become mentors and valued above all others. That’s what it means.

Int: And do you think you’ll be painting twenty years from now?

Ms. Rubin: If I’m here, yes. It’s the one constant in my life that has held my attention and passion and that has seemed like it’s what I’m supposed to be doing here.

Int: Here?

Ms. Rubin: Yes, here. Here. I am on the road that I’m meant to be on. Everything led me here, to this place and time. It wasn’t until I started painting that I felt that way about the direction my life was taking.

Int: What is the highest number of paintings you’ve worked on at one time?

Ms. Rubin: Usually only one or two at a time. However, I just finished three paintings in one week.

Int: Three!

Ms. Rubin: Three. One oil, two pastels. And actually I finished a little acrylic but I don’t love it so I’m not really counting it as done.

Int:  Still, that’s amazing. That’s amazing to be able to split your attention and do more than one painting at a time, let alone finish three in one week.

Ms. Rubin: You have no idea how good that feels, although, I’m sure many artists do that.

Int: Tell us about how good that feels.

Ms. I imagine that it’s like a little like walking down the aisle at a graduation for an advanced degree or hearing that a very important art critic bought one of my paintings. It’s a wonderful affirmation that I’m in a feast phase as opposed to a famine phase. It’s like coming into the light from out of the darkness. I’ve been there too, and trust me on this one, where I am now is much more pleasant.

Int: One last question: What are you working on now and can we see it? Can you tell us about the process?

Ms. Rubin: I’m working on a pastel of a covered bridge. I love the covered bridges of Bucks County. Although they’ve been done and maybe a little overdone, every artist has their own interpretation of what them. I feel like they may be in danger of encroaching technology and progress and that they need to be recorded and preserved, so I want to paint them. They’re still in areas that are small roads without too much development. I’m also considering another oil and have a new acrylic in mind to paint. Here’s what I’ve got so far on the bridge:

I spent weeks taking photos and editing them and choosing just the right one. Here’s the photo reference for this painting. Actually there are three photos but they’re hooked onto the other end of the board.

Here I’ve started with the sky and created the mood by choosing the color palette that will eventually become the background. I’ve added color to the paper that will become the underpainting. There’s not much detail here, just a little light values that will become the composition for later. I am staying away from dark values at this point, because that pretty much sets the composition of the painting, the bones of the finished result. This use of light values and color palette also set the tone for distance, perspective and mood.

Here I’ve begun to add in some points of composition; I’ve got the stone wall, or the beginnings of it, and the structure. The bridge is not set in stone though, because ultimately, I know that my method of painting usually zooms in on the central focal point. So I’ve used a light color to play around with size and placement. Ultimately, that bridge will most likely become smaller, and it may move off to the right a little more. The darker values begin to define the foreground and the basis for distance perspective and the support of the center of interest; the bridge.

More to come.

Int: Thank you for your time, Ilene. We wish you great success and look forward to seeing the finished painting. We appreciate your time, energy and above all, your art. Any chance of seeing those recently finished paintings?

Ms. Rubin: Sure. Here you go. Thank you.