Source: LIV VERO Magazine | Interview by Jim Field | Photography by Victoriya Knapp
Drawing Inspiration from Beauty Around Her
We were introduced to Ruth and her husband, Murray, through mutual friends who spoke of Ruth’s passion for art and her deep commitment to her craft. Ruth generously worked with colleagues at the Orchid Island Art Club to arrange an invitation for us to write about the club’s 2026 Celebration of Creativity show (April 2026 issue). A visit to Ruth’s home offers readers a glimpse into her personal art world, through conversation, a review of selected works, and a tour of her creative spaces. We are grateful to Ruth for sharing her story and her work with LIV VERO Magazine.
JF: Ruth, your home is stunning. I’m going to have a difficult time concentrating. I see, as a typical artist, that you live with your work, a daily reminder of your journey as a painter. Let’s start at the beginning of your story.
RM: I grew up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, the youngest of three sisters, seven and nine years behind the others, in a solidly middle-class family that wasn’t particularly artistic. Still, I was always drawing, always doodling. As a child, I took a few classes, but creativity mostly found its way in on its own. I began making my own clothes by about eighth grade, not everything, but enough to feel the pull of creating something from nothing. My mom signed me up with a woman who taught us how to make our patterns, and we began creating our own outfits. I still remember going out to buy the fabric and it felt like opening a door to something. My mother sewed as well, so there was always a sewing machine in the house. It wasn’t unusual to just sit down and make something. That made it all feel possible. Around that same time, I learned millinery from my sister. I was creating hats even in high school, making pieces for family and for weddings. In my own quiet way, I was already immersed in creativity.
JF: Were there things as a child that stimulated your curiosity in people making things on their own?
RM: A catalyst for me when I was a young girl was in the basement of a friend’s old house, seeing a wee calligraphy sign painted and positioned over a crooked little door. I remember still wondering about that creativity that made me stop and smile. It said “Ye Olde Curiosity Shop.” Another time I was in a car with my Sunday School teacher. I was about 12 years old. She commented on how God was such a great artist to mix colors like pink and green. That was in the days when the rhyme, “Pink & green should never be seen, except when they’re found in a washing machine!” I was fascinated by that comment, and it awakened my curiosity about colors.
