A turning point for my artistic practise

Three years ago, my daughter said to me, “You can’t paint.” Her words stopped me. I had always thought of myself as artistic, yet I realised that in her seven years she had never seen me pick up a paintbrush. She had never witnessed what I considered a core part of who I am.

That moment became a turning point for my artistic practise. I spent the following year drawing and painting for myself, allowing my style to emerge organically. I returned again and again to landscapes, gardens and character houses, subjects deeply connected to my background in urban design and placemaking. While I was drawn to landscape architecture because of drawing, my professional career became increasingly computer-based and policy-focused, and I lost an important creative outlet.

With experience running a small business and producing large-scale events such as Dîner en Blanc Brisbane, I felt ready to take the next step. Two years ago, I began selling my work.

Since then, I have worked with local galleries, exhibited online, launched my own website, become an Affiliate of Studio on Brunswick, and held my first solo exhibition in 2025.

Today, I balance my professional career as an Urban Designer at Moreton Bay with an active art practice while raising my two equally artistic daughters, hoping they see the value of living creatively.

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Amy Ruth Artist - Photo credit Kylie Harber Photography