Ruth Stafford Drawing No. 1

The artwork of Ruth Stafford (born 1936) is unmistakable. The primary motif in all of her work (drawing, painting, ceramic, or textile), is a floating, limbless form with staring eyes. Some viewers find them unsettling, but others find them quite adorable! These forms are repeated again and again in her work, but are never the same twice; they assume an infinite variety of shapes, and are filled with, and surrounded by an ever-changing palette of colors.

Ruth has practiced at Creative Growth since 2006. Some of her recent exhibitions include: Outside Forces, Art Enables, Washington DC (2021); Outsider Art Fair, New York (2019); Visual Oasis: Works from Creative Growth, Carson City (2018); Issue 3, Good Luck Gallery, Los Angeles (2015).

Pastel and pen on paper, 11.75” x 26”. Signed, cryptically, on verso. Part of the proceeds from the sale of this piece will benefit Creative Growth.

“Creative Growth is a non-profit organization based in Oakland, California that advances the inclusion of artists with developmental disabilities in contemporary art and strengthens community by providing a supportive studio environment and gallery representation. Founded in 1974, Creative Growth is a leader in the field of arts and disabilities, establishing a model for a creative community guided by the principle that art is fundamental to human expression and that all people are entitled to its tools of communication.” https://creativegrowth.org/