I’m Ruth LaGue — a contemporary folk artist chasing the quiet poetry of forgotten places.
My journey began far from any studio: amid the vast, windswept landscapes of Alaska, where rustic barns stood stripped to their essence against moonlit skies. Those early moments—frozen shutter-clicks of complexity distilled into silhouette—became the heartbeat of my creative calling.

I’ve always been a seeker of the essential. In my past life as a graphic designer and creative director, I learned that “less is more” isn’t just a design maxim—it’s a way to reveal truth. Today, I carry that clarity into every painting. I dim the noise, soften the edges, and sharpen the light so that texture and shape echo with memory and feeling.

When I paint, I’m channeling invisible atmospheres—dawn’s hush over abandoned farmhouses, the weight of sky pressing on a silent field. My flattened perspectives and layered textures aren’t accidents; they’re invitations. I want you to feel the tactile breath of a place, to supply the stories I’ve purposely left untold.

My work lives where personal history meets collective memory—gracing private collections across the U.S., Canada, and England, the corporate halls of BioMed Realty in Boston, and resting permanently at the Encaustic Art Institute in Santa Fe.

This is more than painting—it’s a conversation with silence, structure, and the spaces in between. Join me, and let’s turn quiet places into shared stories.