KARI GANOUNG RUIZ

Interlaken, New York

Kari Ganoung Ruiz was raised at the edge of the Finger Lakes National Forest in central New York state. She received a bachelor’s in fine art painting from Ashland University, Ohio. She and her husband, photographer Diego Ruiz, have an online gallery of their work, which allows them to travel the U.S. to paint and photograph en plein air. Kari was awarded Best in Show at Finger Lakes Plein Air in New York (2017), first place Quick Draw at Lighthouse Plein Air in Florida (2018), Grand Prize at Two Rivers Plein Air in Texas (2019), and Grand Prize at Adirondack Plein Air in New York (2020). Her work is held in public and private collections across the U.S. and Canada, including the collection of the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado.

On first approaching the Grand Canyon rim, I felt time slow other visitors seemed a blur then gone. They moved through as I stayed on, transfixed by the scene stretching out. My mind attempted to make sense of the vastness dials adjusting, switches thrown seeking a cue for depth and distance. Measuring and calculating, finally, an understanding of the topography then a rollercoaster drop realization of scale. Time starts again like a record player. I see the quickly shifting patterns of shadow and light revealing a glimmer, a glimpse of Earth’s history on awesome display.

Storied Shadows | 20x36, oil