Visible, Invisible, Veiled

'Visible, Invisible, Veiled’ began in 2015 when broken grids appeared unexpectedly in a painting inspired by Virginia Woolf’s first novel ‘The Voyage Out'.

Voyage Out Land and Sea is full of rich reds, vibrant yellows and a multitude of blues. There are many circles representing the sun and the moon. The bottom two thirds of the canvas is covered in the shape of a blue aqueduct - or waves? More broken grids appear at the base. This significant painting started Ruth's Visible, Invisible, Veiled series exploring these broken grids. Oil on canvas, 100 x 100cm.

The ‘Voyage Out: Land and Sea’ led directly to ‘In a state of osmosis’, the first painting exploring natures broken grids.

At the time I wrote in my journal:

'And there is also the thought that the grids represent a veil - allowing glimpses beneath, whilst also distorting and hiding, shading, holding back. Is this something to do with the spirit - which is unseen and yet its presence is felt, known, acknowledged and simultaneously hidden from view?’

In a state of osmosis is an abstract artwork by Ruth Dent. The first in the Visible, Invisible, Veiled series. An oil on canvas in yellow, blue, green and red with multiple layers of broken grids.
I am invisible is an abstract artwork by Ruth Dent. The pale peach, lime green and orange oil paints were poured over the canvas and moved around whilst wet to give a layered and in places a grid-like effect.
Buff titanium, pinks, reds and copper swirl around in Moon Dance, an abstract painting in acrylic on Moulin de Larroque handmade paper. 84 x 84cm.
Charcoal 1 is an abstract artwork which started with charcoal marks which have had layers of organic gridlines layered over - in yellow, pale to dark green and blue. These colours created several intense pools. A final red grid holds the piece together. 50 x 50cm acrylic on Moulin de Larroque handmade paper.
Lifeforce is a densely painting abstract in reds, oranges, purples, blues and pinks. Some areas are so layered with paint they look crusted. Full of energy and life, Life-force is an acrylic on Moulin de Larroque paper, 84 x 84cm

These paintings celebrate life, nature, the feminine and the spirit, aiming to capture the exhilaration of connection through colour, gesture and material.

Sun on my face
Wind pushing back my hair
I imagine levitating
And then dissipating
Into the green
Of the air
Pinks, reds, oranges, lime green and a turquoise green jostle for attention in Sun on my face, created to illustrate a poem that arrived one day when Ruth was out for a walk. Sun on my face is a 84 x 84cm acrylic on Moulin de Larroque handmade paper. Part of Ruth's Visible, Invisible, Veiled series.
Pale cerulean blue, yellow ochre and orange lines criss cross the white handmade paper. There are multiple crossing places, and yet one in particular, where the blue pooled and accentuated a paler blue cross is why this abstract artwork is called The Crossing Place. 50 x 50cm acrylic on Moulin de Larroque paper.
Ruth Dent A Glad Day 50 x 50cm acrylic on Moulin de Larroque Paper
Les Libellules, an acrylic on canvas painting by Ruth Dent, inspired by dragonflies on the River Lot. A moving, watery background in greys and pale golds is covered with lines in blue, red and turquoise - the dragonflies, flitting over the surface. On top, broken grids formed from rich gold and copper frame the image. 183 x 183cm. Contemporary abstract art.
What am I?
Skimming o’er the mirror,
Glimmers of light,
Iridescent rainbows,
Dancing in flight.
Hovering o’er the surface,
Cavorting left and right,
Dazzling jewels,
A beguiling sight.
Skimming o’er the mirror,
Dancing in the light,
Iridescent rainbows,
Glimmering in flight
… a dragonfly
Elemental is a thicket of pale viridian, yellows, greens and blues in many layered grids. The final layer of broken grids is in red, which also runs around the edges to frame the abstract artwork and heighten the depth of the piece. 84 x 84cm acrylic on Moulin de Larroque paper.
Emerald Pools is a multi layered acrylic on handmade Moulin de Larroque paper. Peach and pink form the background above which are crossing lines of green and blue-green, some of which have collected into pools and dried to a brighter green. A contemporary abstract artwork.

Nature is full of broken grids. Walking in the woods I observe their changing colours and appearance, asking ‘is nature hiding’ and ‘what is nature hiding’, as well as considering whether “a broken grid relates to breaking out?”.

Ruth Dent - Looking back
Pathways
Pathways 2 is a layered acrylic painting with shapes like stepping stones in mottled greys, greens and blues. Inspired by walking in the woods and stepping on ancient stones in cathedrals, temples and stupas. 84 x 84cm on Moulin de Larroque paper
Ruth Dent Escape ll
Ruth Dent Escape l

In these later paintings within the series, pathways appeared: through the forest, around a stupa or within a labyrinth, referencing memories of Ajanta (India) and Chartres (France).