Ruth Dutoit

Visual artist and poet Ruth Dutoit was born in 1925, the eighth of ten children in the coal mining region of southwestern Virginia. She received her B.A. at the University of Miami, Florida (1948) and her Master of Arts Degree from New York University’s School of Education (1955). While pursing her passion for academics, she also took a profound interest in the diversity of people and love of the earth, leading her to worldwide travels and studies. She completed her arts education by attending master classes at the Art Students League of New York City. From 1955 to 1956 she studied privately with Amedée Ozenfant in Cannes, and attended classes at the École des Beaux Arts of Aix-en-Provence, France.

Ruth then spent several decades in Switzerland, after getting married there 1959. Ruth exhibited in numerous European countries and developed a long standing relationship with the prestigious Jeanne Wiebenga Gallery near Lausanne, Switzerland. She also wrote and published poetry in English and French, illustrated with her ink portraits in black and white. In the early 1990s, Ruth moved back to the United States where she continued to experiment with various art forms in Washington DC. She continued to travel internationally, tapping into various cultures that influenced her vision and paintings. Ruth lived in Round Hill, Virginia in early 2000, where she pushed the envelope of her creations, before moving to Southern California in 2005 where she currently resides and works.

Now 84, Ruth continues to bring her vision to the forefront of the art world, bridging the gap between traditional art and multimedia. From the beginning, Ruth’s interest have had one underlying theme: Changing Perceptions for Changing Times. Ruth says “the more you learn, the more you keep your mind and spirit open, the more your life will be free flowing and in sync. Each moment is just another milestone in the unfolding of one‘s destiny. Perception, whether it be visual or otherwise, can only take place when there is no division between the observer and the observed. In retrospect -- everyday, every moment is a new beginning. Just my cup of tea!\"