Making Magic on the Farm
Mary Jean Ruhnke is an inspiring professional artist living on a goat and cattle farm near San Antonio, Texas. With over 13 years of self-taught experience, she has created her own unique style of ink and textured acrylic that resonates with art lovers from around the world. In addition to creating beautiful work in her tiny home art studio (which was once shared by Mary Jean and her growing family), this creative soul can also be found milking goats off the back porch and pondering life through the lens of her farm and beloved animals.
She draws inspiration from her inner child and environment, resulting in a unique body of mixed media art reflecting her deeply-felt emotions. Mary Jean is dedicated to exploring life's more profound questions and meaning through her art while continually challenging herself to find new forms of expression. Mary Jean strives to bring a sense of wonder, joy, reflection, and innate beauty with every piece she creates.
Mary Jean has had the honor of selling her artwork in galleries, online, and through private commissions. She also regularly encourages and teaches budding artists to unlock their creative potential and shares tricks of the trade through her social media channels, where she has built an extensive following of avid fans. As she continues to hone her craft, Mary Jean hopes to reach even more people with her inspiring art.
The Creative Process is Cathartic
The dictionary definition of cathartic is: “providing psychological relief through the open expression of strong emotions.” It is the purging, or evacuation, of feelings and emotions.
Mary Jean finds solace in the creative process, using it to manage her stress and symptoms from ulcerative colitis. By expressing strong emotions on canvas, she can purge old feelings while discovering strength and vulnerability within herself. The tangible result may not be as important as what happens during Mary Jean's journey through art-making - an exploration that allows her mind to be lost amongst pigments and ink for a greater understanding of life.
Through her art, Mary Jean continues to share her story with the world - stories of pain and healing, hope and courage. By opening up about her own personal struggles alongside her artwork, she encourages viewers also find their voice and strength in times of hardship.
Ultimately, Mary Jean hopes that by sharing her artwork and story on her website and social media, visitors will be inspired to recognize and acknowledge their own feelings and experiences, leading to a greater understanding of themselves. With every stroke of her brush or ink pen, she hopes to create beautiful artwork and an opportunity for viewers to find catharsis in the creative process just as she has.
By immersing yourself in Mary Jean's art and story, you can discover more about yourself, your emotions, and your experiences - a journey that may surprise and inspire you. So please take a moment to explore and be transported into the vibrant world of Mary Jean's art. And with every new masterpiece created, every hidden character carefully crafted, she continues to share her story with the world.
A Beacon of Positivity and Hope
Mary Jean's story is one of resilience and hope, as she turned a difficult period in her life into an opportunity to explore the depths of her creative talent. 13 years ago, Mary Jean was struggling with ulcerative colitis, isolated from family and friends, she found solace by pouring all her emotions onto canvas through painting. As each brushstroke brought forth visions that embodied both pain and healing - colors representing joys while others depicted sorrow – the pigments on the canvas slowly began to take shape as simultaneously her body began to heal itself. Nowadays, every work reflects the power within us when faced with adversity: having compassion for ourselves and others during struggle so we can come out stronger on the other side!
Each of Mary Jean’s works is filled with vibrancy, insight, and emotion that can move us to reflect inwardly on our own life experiences and share a feeling of hope in the face of difficulty. Mary Jean’s story is a testament to the power of art, its ability to transform and heal us if only we open our hearts and minds to look beyond what we see and find moments of joy even amid chaos. It is an inspiring reminder that no matter what life throws at us, there is always beauty in the darkness.
Mary Jean’s story and artwork are a compelling reminder that life’s most challenging moments don’t have to define us; they can be used as tools for growth and transformation. Her art inspires us to seek solace in the depths of our own creative potential to make something beautiful out of adversity – a perpetual reminder never to give up and always to strive for a more meaningful life.
Find Out Why Corvids and Foxes Capture the Heart of Artist Mary Jean Ruhnke
Mary Jean Ruhnke's intricate animal paintings are not just works of art but a reflection of her deep spirituality and emotional connection to the world around her. Her use of crows and ravens expresses the sorrow she felt after losing her father to cancer in 2019, while foxes represent the joy and lightheartedness of embracing one's inner child - something special for this strawberry-blonde artist, who can relate visually to their warm orange fur!
Even deeper, Mary Jean's work celebrates the uniqueness and extraordinariness of all creatures - humans, animals, or any other being. Her work carefully crafted with brushes, a pallet knife, acrylic pigments and ink, is a powerful reminder that we are all connected, regardless of our differences, and should strive to make the world brighter for everyone. Truly thought-provoking, each work evokes genuine emotions that strike a chord in each viewer - you'll find yourself deeply immersed in her paintings, discovering new meanings in each brush stroke with every hidden character and at every glance!
Her art is filled with emotion, spirituality, and a sense of connectedness that will stay with you long after the painting has been hung on your wall.
Mary Jean Ruhnke
"A Gathering Of Great Minds" Limited Edition Fine Art Print
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Children's Book Illustrations
Follow the journey as Mary Jean works towards her goal of publishing a children's story to inspire adults and children alike to follow their dreams worldwide. From sketches and illustrations to the characters and plotlines, each step in this story is full of creativity and adventure – let your imagination wander as you gaze upon each illustration.
Keep your eyes open for the upcoming teasers of this exciting children's tale. Together we can make it happen; shop limited edition illustration prints to support the continued development of this masterpiece!