E-mail: ruth@ruthabernethy.com for more images of Ruth's work visit her website. CV

Artist’s Statement

Twenty years of professional Prop building for theatre and film satisfied Ruth's thirst for travel which was her education of choice. She was offered her first large bronze commission by the Stratford Festival. This brought an invitation to sculpt figure portraits of renowned pianist Glenn Gould at CBC, Toronto, and Canadian actor, Al Waxman in Kensington Market. Ruth is a member of the International Sculpture Centre, American Portrait Society, CARFAC Ontario and Gallery 96, and has been recognized by many countries for her works. She captures individual animation, body language and facial expressions, creating a "moment" and a likeness in her portraits.

Sculptor and designer, Ruth Abernethy studied at the Malaspina University in Nanaimo, British Columbia. She works in bronze, laser-cut stainless steel and clay. She taught at the University of Calgary, University of Victoria, Banff Centre for the Arts, and conducted Master Classes in props building at the Stratford Festival.

• Fine styrene carving introduced her to actor Anthony Quinn with whom she shared several studio sessions.
• A Millennium Park project, "Leap of Faith" and numerous private portraits have been balanced by her own works in bronze and stainless steel. Of these, "Ladies - Size 8" were selected for exhibition in Sydney, Australia gaining Ruth a Consulate bursary as the first Canadian participant in "Sculpture-by-the-Sea".
• "Willow Vessel" was shown at the Toronto Arts Fair and another bronze, a bust of Al Waxman, was acquired by the Canadian portrait gallery collection in Ottawa.
• By invitation, Ruth attended a Fine Arts Trade Mission in Chicago, the APS conference in Boston and was keynote speaker for the Canadian Portrait Society conference in Toronto.
• As a finalist for the Rosales Tribute, Ruth travelled to Chandler, Arizona.
• Ruth is a member of the International Sculpture Centre, the American Portrait Society, CARFAC and her local Artist's Collective, Gallery 96 in Stratford.