Steven Rushingwind
Mission Statement
In life we pass by ordinary objects, never really seeing them. These object might be invisible to the average person, but an artist sees beauty in such common items. A can of soup, an apple or a pear or an old abandoned building that you pass by each day, becomes a celebrated object. As I paint these objects on canvas, I project my moods onto these objects, so they take on a life, a piece of my life, reflecting the twists and turns I’ve taken along the journey. ~~Rushingwind
Bio
After making my mark in the Native American Music world, as a flutist, my roots are calling. I'm being pulled back to my love of painting by the smell of the oils and the feel of the brush. I find peace and tranquility in my studio. It's my meditation in this crazy world.
Steven Rushingwind-Ruiz a California native is of Native American & Mexican descent, has been interested in art and music his entire life. He was raised within a family of artists, including musicians and painters. As a child he spent time with his uncle, oil painter Alfred Flores 1913-1997, in his studio. Rushingwind remembers sensing the full rich smell of oils, the buttery texture of the paint on his fingers, — he was hooked.
Money was tight in the Ruiz family, since his parents had six children to feed. Steve didn’t have enough money to buy oils so he took the discarded tubes from his uncle’s trash can and squeezed out every blob he could possibly get so he could amass enough paint for a painting. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it taught him how to mix an array of colors out of the three primary colors. As we fast-forward to his early thirties, the love of music and the outdoors became his passion, so it was only natural to step outside and paint what was in his heart. He did several plein air paintings. Many have acquired Rushingwind's landscape paintings, plein air paintings, award winning music and wood sculptures. He is known as the “matchmaker” for his wood carved eight-foot-high burnt matchsticks. Rushingwind is fascinated by ordinary objects becoming bigger than life as is shown in his latest work, the fishing lures, commonly called “Big Fish”. These paintings of the old lures show the use and history and of each one. His work can be found in corporate, private and museum collections. He has been featured in catalogs and many newspaper articles. Rushingwind is a self-taught artist, coming from a family of artists.
He has owned two galleries, The Blue Core in Pomona California and Ruiz Studios in Monterey, California. His work is part of the permanent collection at The Latino Art Museum in Pomona, California and The Pomona Valley Hospital. His work has also been shown in hundreds of one-man and group shows including the Millard Sheets Gallery, Claremont Museum of Art, Square I Gallery in Claremont, CA, dA Center for the Arts, Metro Gallery, Blue Core, Buddhamouse, Division 9 Gallery as well as galleries in Monterey, Sand City, Carmel, California and Washington DC. Steven has judged and curated many art shows throughout his career. Steven is also an accomplished international award-winning Native Flute musician, known as Steven Rushingwind.
Rushingwind Art. Claremont, CA.