1527 Otto Blvd
Chicago Heights
IL 60411

Phone
708 754 2601

Studio Artist

Ann Ruttledge-Thieme

My art is the expression of occurrences in my life and the creativity of my mind.  My ideas are conceived from the places I’ve visited; the experiences I’ve had; books I’ve read; music, dance, and drama I’ve enjoyed; and the truths I believe.

              A lifetime is a wondrous trek and the Universe is full of fascination.  Having been created and made conscious, I can’t find enough words to express the magnitude of feelings that arise within me, so I turn to art to extend my dialogue.

              I believe my art has given me the tools with which to bare witness to my journeys.  It allows me, with process, color, form, line, and idea, to transform substance into more than word.  Conceptual presentations often reveal much that is not conjectured from a written composition about similar subjects.

              I’ve chosen painting as my vehicle of expression because of the fluidness, color, and the sheer, plastic nature of paint.  For the greater amount of my work, I use an expressionistic approach rather than a realistic style.  My surfaces are often complex and textured to represent the possibility of chance or discovery within the nooks and crannies of paint.  Showing brushstrokes and corrections in my work also shows the process and direction creativity takes in creating an artwork.

              We as individuals need visual images as well as lingual texts to assess the world around us.  I would hope the viewer would also be able to experience the excitement, energy, and endless possibility that I strive to relate in my art; and that he/she would come away from viewing my work with a revitalized feeling for life.

              It is a joy to be an artist. I want to continue to produce art forms and to delve into all the possibilities of my chosen field.

Ann Ruttledge-Thieme was born in Ferndale, Michigan, in 1934, and when she was eight her family moved to Birmingham, Michigan, which was next door to the Cranbrook Academy of Arts.  Ann and a girlfriend would often ride bicycles out to the campus of the art school and pretend to be artists busy at work.  Also, Ann’s father was an exhibiting photographer, along with owning a winery.  Ann’s dad would often take the family to the Cranbrook campus to do photo shoots of the various sculpture and gardens.  As a result of this exposure, Ann’s interest in the arts grew into a lifelong love.

Ann was awarded a B.A. in Elementary Education with majors in both education and biology at Michigan State University in 1956.  Another degree was awarded from South Suburban College- Associate of Arts in Fine Art, with a concentration in painting.  At South Suburban College she was accepted into the Who’s Who of American Junior Colleges.  Ann remained at South Suburban College for another 11 semesters painting, taking classes, and teaching adults.

              When space became available at Union Street Gallery Complex in Chicago Heights, Ann was among the first to take a studio, and this is where she has remained to do her artwork.  She has also continued her studies both at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and at the studio of Professor Alain Gavin for nine years.  Ann believes that continued study in her art, and the art of past and present, is an essential part of her work.  Ann has taken classes involving intensive study of artists the Rauschenberg, Hess, Tapias, Samaras, Polke, Dine, Hockney, Morandi, Moreau, Picasso, Kitaj, Miro, Hodgkins, Hofmann, Clementi, Kiefer, Giacometti, Richter, Pearlstein, Degas, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, Diebenkorn, Rembrandt, and others.

              Ann has received numerous awards for her work and has shown in many regional and national shows.  Among these awards are an Award of Distinction from the N.I.A.A. Salon Show in 1994, and Best of Show at “Skin” a national show at Union Street Gallery.  Also, Ann won two purchase awards from South Suburban College.

              Just recently, Ann has been honored by the city of West Lafayette with the purchase of two large oils for their new children’s interactive center which is to be built in eighteen months.  Other public sites owning the artist’s works include South Suburban College, Gary Mental Health Center, and the National Bank of Gary, Indiana.

              Ann is affiliated with many art related organizations and galleries.  As part of Ann’s love of art, she has done outreach with lectures and given talks about art to school groups and visitors to the Union Street Complex.

              More of Ann’s art may be seen at her website (www.annrt.com) or her studio at Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL. (A more complete resume is available upon request).