As the curator of “The Healing Power of ART Inspired By NATURE” 2023 juried exhibition it is an honor and pleasure to present this Featured Article with three powerful Special Recognition Art Award Winners Daisy Crane, Melanie Pruitt and Ruth Soller. Their unique personal qualities and perception complement their artistic skills and career achievements. They bring a transformative impact to our lives through their art. These are are few of the many reasons why deserve to receive your special attention and acknowledgement.
Daisy Crane has a unique and powerful style and perception. Her determination to educate, inspire, and raise awareness about our environment is remarkable. Melanie Pruitt creates joyful nature-inspired works of art. She is also living proof that personal strength and creating art has a powerful healing impact. Ruth Soller is renowned for her breathtaking, award-winning paintings that celebrate the national parks and Western landscapes and also brings a visceral experience to viewers.
Daisy Crane Creates Powerful Visual Stories That Raise Our Awareness
Daisy Crane has a multifaceted background that contributes to her significant role as an artist with a purpose. She earned her BA and BFA from the University of Kansas in 2018, she was the Program Evaluator for Imagine Center of Conflict Transformation in 2019, and she is a co-author of “Addressing the Environment-Peace Nexus,” Peace Review, 2021. She completed her MA in Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego in 2020 and has since focused on combining her background in peace studies with her art practice.
When she submitted images of her extraordinary oil paintings to “The Healing Power of ART Inspired By NATURE” 2023 Exhibition she provided this statement: “My paintings are visual stories that question the ways we deny, adore, and/or ignore the materials that define our lives and futures. In the end, my paintings search for the beauty of creation, joy, reciprocity and balance even in the face of climate collapse.”
For her painting “Found Myself in the Rocks” she used eco-friendly gesso, water-based oils, and no harmful solvents or pigments.
You will find a treasure trove of insightful art and writings on Daisy’s website and social media pages. She has written “My work explores the ways human-made and natural materials interact with our environmental, spiritual, and cultural landscapes. From micro to macro, liquid to solid, hard to soft, human to non-human — each element exists in an entangled world where order, categories, and binaries are blurred into an all-over composition full of bustling life and energy. Organic and rigid textures work together in order to discuss the tension between universal interdependence and the existence of nondecomposable materials that disrupt ecological timelines, systems, and spaces.”
Visit Daisy Crane’s website: daisycrane.art
Melanie Pruitt Inspires and Empowers Us With A Joyful Positive Spirit
Melanie Pruitt creates vibrant, calming watercolors that convey a positive spiritual energy and life force. She celebrates her deeply felt reverence and discoveries in the natural world. The artist exudes, “When I walk through a garden, I don’t just see the garden, I feel the garden! From the stillness of the rainforest to the playful wildlife on my island home, nature touches me and changes me. My paintings are saturated with these experiences and feelings.”
Melanie knows firsthand about the healing power of art and shares a life-altering experience. She shares, “I have been a creative person all my life, but I didn’t really understand that because so much of my creativity came in the form of physical movement. In 2001 a virus left me with a post-infectious chronic illness taking away my physical abilities. This led me to the wonderful discovery of my creative self in painting. I began with watercolor and still love the exciting dance between water and paint.”
Melanie began selling her artwork in 2005 and has many admirers and collectors have grown. You will find Melanie’s artwork currently represented by One Gallery and Banyan Gallery, both in Hilo, Hawaii and Volcano Garden Arts located in Volcano, Hawaii.
It is a pleasure to have selected her uplifting painting “Enchanted Garden” for “The Healing Power of ART Inspired By NATURE” 2023 Exhibition.
Melanie shines a beacon of light for us all to follow and explains, “My greatest hope is that, as you explore my website, my art and the stories behind it will touch you personally today. I am passionate about the struggles people are currently facing, and the need for each of us to reach out to one another in love and compassion.”
Visit Melanie Pruitt’s website: melaniepruittart.com
Ruth Soller Shares The Awe-Inspiring Magic of The Natural World
Ruth Soller has a remarkable talent to illuminate the powerful intrinsic beauty of nature and deliver a visceral experience to viewers. Her awe-inspiring paintings have earned many accolades including Awards of Excellence from Manhattan Arts International.
Her painting “Bluebird Sky Walden Pond” is a perfect addition to “The Healing Power of ART Inspired By NATURE” 2023 Exhibition,. As she explains “My magical landscapes express passion through brilliant hues and command power by dramatic contrasts. Studying with admired artists honed my skills and intention. Perseverance through challenges focused my style and voice.” Ruth discovered “creating art brings healing power to my body, mind and spirit.” She adds, “My purpose is to share emotions and bring healing and joy through art.”
Ruth’s paintings have been exhibited in many museums and galleries. Her numerous solo exhibitions include those presented at Osmosis Art Gallery and Troy University Rosa Parks Museum. Her important group shows include Art Design Consultants, Salmagundi Club New York, Butler Institute of American Art, CM Russell Museum, and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet’s office in Washington, DC.
Ruth’s art was accepted to be on view in the 2022 Colorado Day (August 1st) Exhibition at the Colorado State Capitol Complex, including the Governor’s Office, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, and the basement rotunda, from August 1 through October or November 2022.
You will find Ruth’s art in such prestigious collections such as Good Samaritan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Lafayette, CO; International Association of Fire Fighters, Washington DC; and The Vermont Country Store Scale Museum, Weston, VT; among others.
Visit Ruth Soller’s website: solleroriginals.com
As the curator and juror of “The Healing Power of ART Inspired By NATURE” I spent hundreds of inspired hours reviewing jpeg entries and visiting entrants’ websites before I selected the finalists. After publishing the exhibition, I revisited all exhibiting artists’ websites to renew my familiarity with their artwork and learn more about them. I devoured their Artist’s Statements and even visited their social media posts. During this informative process it was apparent that Daisy Crane, Melanie Pruitt and Ruth Soller deserved to receive special attention for the many gifts they share with the world.
Dear Renee, you have written such a deep and meaningful article for your selection of Special Recognition Artist Awards and I am honored to be chosen among these three. I will surely be learning more about Daisy Crane and Melanie Pruitt in the coming days. I also plan to share your article with my galleries and collectors and followers. Thank you for your support of my art over a period os several years. I appreciate all that you do to increase recognition and acclaim for skilled artists.
Ruth Soller
Dear Ruth, Choosing you for this Special Recognition Art Award and including your art in the exhibition were very clear decisions. Your art always has a powerful impact on me as a curator and I know it does the same for our followers. Thank you for your participation. Best wishes, Renee