EMMIE RUTH WISE
Born in Columbus, Georgia practically with a colored pencil in her hand, Emmie Ruth has been creating all of her life. This quality was fostered in her by her mother, who had an affinity for turning her drawings into invitation and shirt designs for her birthday parties. As she painted various buildings for commission work throughout college, her increasing interest in architecture led her to work part-time during her last year in school with both a traditional interior designer and an architectural designer in Buckhead, Atlanta
By Caroline Kostuch
After graduating with a degree in Product Design from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a certificate in Classical Architecture from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, Emmie Ruth worked for a high-end architecture firm in New York for a short time. She is currently a freelance artist as she lets her paint brush determine the strokes of her career and future. Emmie Ruth spoke to SVM about who inspired her to be become an artist, how the South influenced her painting style, and what art means to her.
What made you decide to pursue the field of Art and Design? I have always been creating, drawing, and dreaming since I was a little girl. I come from a family of Georgia Tech grads, so naturally I wanted to be a Yellow Jacket myself. As a very hands-on learner, I chose the field of Industrial De-sign and learned a formulaic approach to finding needs, developing solutions, and bringing them to life. Outside of class, I was selling my artwork; little did I know I would be pursuing that passion full-time today.
Do you have anyone in your life who has especially inspired you in your art? I gather inspiration from so many things, it’s hard to pinpoint one artist or designer that has inspired me the most.
My childhood home was filled with antiques curated by my parents and passed down through the family. I developed an appreciation for tradition and craft at a young age, especially since our family travels were centered around history and art. Seeing the neoclassical form of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello or walking the intricately planned streets of Paris I believe helped broaden my imagination and gave birth to big dreams for my future.
“ The work I produce I of course hope will not only beautifully complete my client’s space, but also be something that is cherished and passed down for years to come. For me personally, creating art is a method of exploring the world around me and adding soul and character to a space.”
I will say the person who has encouraged me the most in my artwork has been my mother. She decorated the hallways with artwork complete with track lighting, put my art on Christmas cards, birthday invitations, thank you notes, and had it embroidered onto t-shirts for one of my birthday parties. We always had craft days when we wanted to give gifts to our friends, teachers, and especially around Christmas time for our family. I am so thankful my mother carefully nurtured my creativity and the importance of sharing it with others. I believe that is why I enjoyed painting a mural in Elizabeth Cook’s nursery for her daughter so much; my favorite moments were watching Louisa run in the room and high-five the hippo on the wall, or grab one of my paint brushes and act like she was painting with me. Hopefully my work will inspire her to be another talented creative from Columbus!
How has being born and raised in Columbus and other parts of the South influenced your artistic style? Living in the South I think has naturally grown my affinity for traditional style, especially in architecture. Attending college in Atlanta gave me exposure to talented architects and interior designers within the traditional field, and surrounded me with architectural gems such as those designed by Tech grads Neil Reed and Philip Trammel Shutze, the latter a Columbus native himself. I quite honestly didn’t realize the incredible opportunity it was until I became involved with the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA), an organization that promotes and preserves the practice and appreciation of classical design.
What different types of art do you specialize in? My favorite medium to work in is watercolor. I have the most experience in architectural rendering, but I particularly love bringing interiors to life. Right now, I am in the midst of working on an interior rendering for a new collection unveiling between furniture designer Mainly Baskets Home and designer Sarah Bartholomew in Nashville. I always enjoy live painting at events, from weddings and private parties to golf tournaments. Most recently, I have been exploring the world of decorative arts and hope to continue expanding that. Using my appreciation for antiques and objects, I curate traditional elements in order to create something new that consequently completes the space in a one-of-a-kind work of art.
“ Inspiration always comes first. I spend a lot of time either curating images myself or discussing the client’s inspiration. For a decorative arts commission, I spend time with the client in their homes learning about the objects they have curated throughout the years and how they are important to them.”
With a certificate in Classical Architecture from the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, how has this education guided you in your artistic career? The ICAA has quite honestly been the catalyst of my career! Learning the fundamentals of classical design has broadened my perspective and inspired my art. Because of my involvement, not only have I gained experience working for designers and architects, but most importantly have met incredibly talented people who are also passionate about story-telling through design and passing that skill along to others. To name a few would be Mallory Mathison, Brandon Ingram, Kahlil Hamady, Leslie-jon Vickory, and the wonderful people at both The Berndsen Company and Ferguson and Shamamian Architects. I also cannot leave off Suzanne Kasler, who sponsored my trip to Paris to study under world-renowned watercolorists Andrew Zega and Bernd Dams.
Do you have a specific process you follow when creating your art, if so, what is it? Inspiration always comes first. I spend a lot of time either curating images myself or discussing the client’s inspiration. For a decorative arts commission, I spend time with the client in their homes learning about the objects they have curated throughout the years and how they are important to them. Our lives revolve around stories — I hope my artwork can beautifully display a story of its own and perhaps provide the missing element of a home that ties all of the loose ends together.
What does your art mean to you personally, and how do you wish for it to impact others? The work I produce I of course hope will not only beautifully complete my client’s space, but also be something that is cherished and passed down for years to come. For me personally, creating art is a method of exploring the world around me and adding soul and character to a space. Giving a fresh touch to something from the past, testing my skillset, and learning something new is always what motivates me.
I am very thankful for my upbringing in Columbus and to the many in town who have inspired and encouraged my craft along the way. I look forward to what the future holds and to spending another summer in New York City working and learning from some of the country’s top designers.