About the Artist

Combining precision and passion, observation and expression, Newport News, Virginia artist Mary Lee Ruff has created a remarkable body of work that relies on the simplest of art techniques - a drawn mark on paper.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Ruff, a pediatrician by profession, has been making art for over twenty years. Her training was guided by her own dedication and work ethic. Rather than a degree, she sought studio time, and a range of classes and workshops to hone her skills. Students of art know that “input” is easy to manage. What’s difficult is the more elusive quality that Ruff so clearly has: an inspired love of drawing.

In her hands, the simple is turned exquisite. Her rendering of faces and places always contains a clarity of expression bound together with other sensibilities. Emotion and memory are interwoven with a keen discerning eye.

Her calm, soft spoken manner carries over in her own words. In one of her artist’s statements she notes: “...I love the feel of the pencil in my hand. I strive to create mood and feeling in my work. I want the spirit of the subject to be felt by the viewer. I want the viewer to be touched by the subject in a positive way, much the same way that I am.”

Ruff is equally adept at a number of subjects. Her portraits are revelations. Her series from Eyreville Plantation is among her best. Corners of the old house are brought to life, first through photographing a variety of compositions, and then selecting one as a starting point. Yet, in her imaginative process, this may only be a starting point as the composition, light, values and other details are altered for dramatic effect. What makes her interiors so effective is not the pure jaw-dropping skill with creating texture and detail, but her ability to keep the entirety of the scene together as an experience. For Mary, these are moments of beauty, of visual grace, where memories are stored for the viewer to discover.

Drawing is so important, it should be everyone’s second language. In the capable hands of Mary Lee Ruff, we can see how impressive and expressive that language can be.

Mary can be reached at:  marylruff@gmail.com.