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At
Goldsberry Gallery
by Darlene Wicks
When life handed her a lemon
(rheumatoid arthritis in 1961), Ruth Goldsberry made lemonade . . .
It is Thursday morning at the small ranch-style farm
home, and the cars are lined up neatly in all available spaces, for this
is the day for painting class. People of all ages step through the
door and make their way down to the basement workshop with eager
anticipation of another pleasant painting session. The pungent smell
of paint and turpentine and the soft murmur of happy voices greet
them. Yes, they are happy because they are actively involved in a
new and exciting experience: Painting pictures! They are
grateful to one special person, Ruth Goldsberry, who makes it possible for
them to have this new and exciting experience.
In 1961 Ruth was handed a "lemon" when she
suddenly developed rheumatoid arthritis. She had always been a very
active person, belonging to two local saddle clubs and was a 4-H leader as
well as a busy farm wife, helping her husband, raising two children as
well as gardening and canning. Church activities and community
affairs also received a good share of her time. But when the pain
and discomfort of the disease forced her to curtail some of these
activities, she was not idle. Ruth began studying art, something she
has been interested in but something for which she had never had
time. She attended four sessions of adult art classes in local
schools, took a correspondence oil painting course, and attended a series
of other workshops and painting classes which increased her knowledge and
painting skills.
In 1969 a small group of friends and relatives
gathered in Ruth's basement to paint and study painting together.
After three short meetings, Ruth discovered she was not painting but
helping others and sharing her knowledge. That was the beginning of
classes at Goldsberry Galleries.
The fun hobby just grew and grew. With more
students, her business enlarged to include the sale of oil painting
supplies and a huge variety of picture frames.
Since then, hundreds of people have been touched by
Ruth's talent in one way or another. Those who have participated in
the regular painting sessions have met and made new friends, enjoyed the
association, and shared with others of the same interests. The age
of the students has ranged from 8 to 80. No matter what age, they
all had fun.
An awareness and appreciation for oil paintings has
been created in our community where none had existed before. Ruth is
often called upon to give lectures and demonstrations at women's meetings
and 4-H groups. The Weblos Boy Scouts came to the gallery for an art
appreciation evening complete with some drawing tips.
Most pictures are done in oils with brush, palette
knife, or "rub-outs". Students' interests are diversified
and include florals, fruits, animals, birds, people, scenery, and
seasons. The canvas sizes range from miniatures to big wall
murals. The canvas, itself, may range from plaques, bone, shells,
leather, shingles, barn boards, or the whole barn door.
Ruth was Regional Coordinator of the Amateur Iowa
Artists for the eight counties around Dallas County and was on the State
Board of Directors.
Ruth has been on painting trips around the nation,
participating in workshops under the direction of Dimitar Krustev of Des
Moines. While in Mexico, the 13 Iowa artists in the group painted a
mural in the reception room of the Escuela de Artesanias (School of
Artisans) at Papantla, Veracruz, Mexico.
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