A mountain dweller at heart, I love to make whimsical dreams come to life.
-Alyssa Ruby
Artist Statement
I find solace in swooping clouds meeting lazy valleys, fish swimming through forests and bunnies migrating across the sky. I aim to create mystical for the everyday life through my exploration of fluffy creatures and cozy homes. Storybooks and folktales are ingrained in me since childhood; no one is too old for a little bit of magic. With an open mind, magic can be enjoyed by any age. With this necessity for whimsy, I try to portray these wonderous sights to be universally enjoyed.
Through painting, illustration, and sculpture I create works to bring joy to the everyday viewer. Having grown up in Florida and newly moved up north, being surrounded by the beautiful mountains and hillside scenery has inspired my more recent body of work. Now that I am able to fully experience each season in its entirety, I love exploring the vibrant spring and plants that blossom after the winter through my work. Through the pieces I create, whether that be a large painting or a digital illustration to be printed, I imbue each piece with a touch of whimsy and magic.
Artist Bio
Virginia based artist, Alyssa Ruby has honed her extensive painting and sculptural skills since she was young. She studied at Flagler College majoring in Fine Art with a focus in illustration. During her time at Flager, she exhibited at Kenan Gallery with a solo exhibition, entitled "Magic Underground", and a solo show at the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum, entitled, "where". Graduating early with Summa Cum Laude she found inspiration from a natural dyes and textiles course and went on to pursue an MFA in Fibers at Savannah College of Art and Design. She explored beading techniques, felting, print and pattern, and digital production that fuel her artistic practice.
Over the course of her degree, she installed works for multiple shows at Pepe Hall including large scale immersive installations. In the summer of 2022, she took on the role of Art Intern at Kohls with the Home team. Through this experience she produced print and pattern for assorted products including blanket throws, candle decals, and other home products that were sent to production and seen in Kohl’s stores all over the country. From there she continued to develop and complete work for her thesis exhibition at Cedar House Gallery, "The Valley of In-Between" (2023). The exhibition explored the threshold of transition, the in-between and how this journey leads one to a space of growing upward and beyond. With both two and three-dimensional works the space was transformed with hung glowing frames, sprouting tree sculptures, and jumping wooden bunnies.
After graduating with her MFA, she continue on to design, create, and install an outdoor interactive installation in Dewees Island, South Carolina for the Dewees Island Conservancy. Through this process she painted a large scale mural exploring the phases of the tides of the ocean well as the plants and animals that live there. This public artwork installation was intended to aid as an educational tool for visiting schools and the local community. Included in the installation was the cross section of a turtle nest held in an acrylic box that she sculpted and installed. She designed, created and installed a series of interlocking digitally printed aluminum panels that slid back and forth across the wall, representing the tide going in and out. Through this process she worked with the local community to ensure the public art would properly represent the unique ecosystem of the landscape of Dewees Island.
With a passion for public art, she currently works freelance with NOW Art, a public art consulting agency, and Walmart to bring custom murals to Walmarts all over the country. She utilizes Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to create custom digital murals that are then printed large scale and installed on location. This work ensures each community feels seen, celebrated, and represented in their local public art, even when shopping.