About the Artist
"Art does not reproduce the visible, rather it makes it visible."
– PAUL KLEE
EVER SINCE I observed my 4 or 5 year old brother captivate others with his whimsical and engaging clown drawings, I have been intrigued by the process of creation. It was fascinating to me (a year older) to see his innate confidence and the happy place he inhabited when he was imagining wildly,—instinctively knowing how best to depict his inner visions on paper.
When I intentionally picked up my own crayons, I soon discovered an alternate world that one can disappear into when one is putting pencil, crayon, or paint to a blank paper with the purpose of creating, —a parallel experience where time is suspended. This activity became not only a personal ticket into an exploration of creative possibilities but it also provided a means for me to detach so that I could observe and sort out my small life's events while also appreciating and connecting to the wonder and complexity of my life around me.
Extended road trips (Dad was in the Air Force, —so we moved and traveled often when I was young) provided another means for contemplation —as the endlessly morphing terrain, conditions, and daylight barreled past my car window. My vision, mind, and heart expanded with these new locations, people and cultures, and I emotionally connected with the world's diversity and enormity.
It became clear to me that what is possible and the "hows" are truly endless. My creativity abounds and my ingenuity flourishes when I can let my mind roam freely while I'm pursuing my passion untethered by the constraints of the expectations I'm inclined to unconsciously perpetuate or force upon what I see. The more I'd look, the more I could see (and appreciate). I was already an inveterate observer, —yet it also turned me into a bit of a thinker and philosopher.
I've continued to engage in right-brain pursuits in many forms since I picked up that first deliberate crayon. All of life's activities and tasks are a creative exercise for me in one way or another especially when I can bring my full presence to it. It just makes me happy!
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Dru's regard for the landscape (and for all of creation) was kindled by the numerous road trips made by her family when she was young. Ensconced in the back seat in the midst of four siblings, she'd detach from the activity in the car, mesmerized by the endless unfolding of the terrain, the day's light, the caprices of the weather.
Dru divides her practice between direct painting (from life) & drawing and developed studio works representing both her live impressions and her imprinted memories using sketches and photos. Her subjects include memorable or seemingly insignificant landscapes, briefly glimpsed scenarios, figures, portraits. Extending the memories of good times, locations, exquisite moments, and loved ones is at the heart of her work.
She often renders her subjects from unique viewpoints or combines man-made subjects with the natural. Her appreciation for color and light plays a strong role in her work. She may extract patterns or unnoticed elements from within an often merely glanced-upon subject,— a reflection of her intrepid quest to continue "seeing beyond".
Dru obtained her BA in Studio Art at the Colorado College and has studied at the Scottsdale Artists School, Denver Art Students League, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, the Bemis Art School. Her instructors have included Bernard Arnest, Mary Chenoweth, Jack Edwards, Daniel Keyes, Jill Soukup, Kim English, Tina Garrett, Robin Cole, and Doug Braithwaite.
Dru's art career began as a technical illustrator and designer in the greeting card and aerospace industries in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After injuries from a car accident made it too difficult for her to work under the pressures of the corporate world, she stepped away to freelance. At this time she was selected as one of the inaugural artists to work on-site in view of the public at the Business of Arts Center studios in Manitou Springs.
Despite this move to work on her own, it became obvious that she must pivot from her art pursuits to pursue further healing. Dru moved to Boulder, where she changed course; studying massage therapy/bodywork, while personally reaping its benefits. She opened her practice to specialize in pain management, while holding the intention of eventually returning to her art expression when she felt in her heart that the time was right. The work enabled her to continue working with her hands while appreciating the body's design and form. Working with the body becomes an intuitive practice coupled with an undeniable sculptural element that fosters increasing sensitivity while assessing the whole -- essential components in the practice of 2D and 3D rendering.
Dru resumed painting again part-time in the early 2000s after her first trip to Italy (an immersive experience that stimulated her entire being), and had eased it into a full-time venture by 2012.
In addition to her technical illustration and fine art skills, Dru's background in graphic arts (with a keen understanding & facility with the printing process), as well as that of having been a business owner has informed and enhanced managing a business in the arts on her own. She not only creates original works, she oversees the production of museum quality reproductions of her work as well as the creation of note cards, making her art accessible to a broader audience.
Sharing her art with others while tuning into what they are envisioning for their walls, —or easing the discomfort of those who may be intimidated by their perceptions of the art world are truly satisfying for her and are what she considers to be another deeper component of her dance in this endeavor of the heart.
Dru pursues her art either in her studio in the front range of the Rocky Mountains near Boulder, Colorado, on the road, or in the "boonies", wherever she may find herself. Her work has garnered a number of awards and can be seen both publicly and privately in the US and abroad.
