Children';s book illustrator and writer Ruth Sanderson, of Easthampton, stands before one of her oil paintings from her book, "The Enchanted Wood," on view this month as part of her exhibit, "Enchanted World," at the Westfield State University Downtown Art Gallery. She also has an exhibit at the Westfield Athenaeum.
Fall Faerie from Ruth Sanderson’s book, “The Enchanted Wood,” is on view as part of the Easthampton illustrator and writer’s exhibit at the Westfield State University Downtown Art Gallery. The painting has been made into a puzzle.
Award winning children’s book illustrator and writer Ruth Sanderson of Easthampton has a solo exhibit of her oil paintings at two area venues – the Westfield State University Downtown Art Gallery and the Westfield Athenaeum through the end of the month.
“What better person to represent this time of year than the illustrator of such books as ‘Mother Goose’ and the ‘Snow Princess,’” said Robert A. Plasse, assistant for communications to the president of Westfield State University and president of Westfield-on-Weekends that helped produce the communitywide Dickens Days celebration that the exhibits are part of.
“She is an acclaimed illustrator,” he added, “and we are proud to have her here.”
Sanderson, an illustrator for over 30 years, has illustrated – or written and illustrated – dozens of books.
“I began drawing when I was 5 or 6,” Sanderson said recently. “But it wasn’t until I was in college that I realized I wanted to do art for a living.”
That’s when she transferred from the liberal arts college she’d been attending to Paier School of Art in Hampden, Conn.
It was there that the idea of becoming an illustrator took shape.
“I’ve always loved pictures that told a story and I’m particularly drawn to fantasy art,” she said.
“Just before graduation, a children’s book agent came to the school and looked over our portfolios. She asked if she could represent me. That was great, because I was very shy, and she was able to get me work.”
At first, the work was primarily children’s textbook art.
But Sanderson’s goal was to illustrate fairy tales.
“I worked my way up to that; I had to earn my bread and butter,” Sanderson said.
In addition to illustrating textbooks, she worked on such classics as “Heidi,” retold by Johanna Spyri, new editions of “Nancy Drew” and the “Black Stallion,” among others.
Finally in the mid-1980s she was offered an opportunity to illustrate her first fairy tale, “The Sleeping Beauty” as retold by Hatfield resident Jane Yolen.
Since then, Sanderson has illustrated many fairy tales, as well as other books including one on the Nativity, and has written and illustrated several fantasy stories like “The Enchanted Wood.”
Ruth Sanderson's book cover for her illustration of Clement C. Moore's 'The Night Before Christmas' is on view this month at the Westfield Anthenaeum.
It all began in Monson where she grew up.
"I loved the woods around Monson," she said. It was where her imagination was sparked.
"There was a place in the woods where I played," she said, "that was going to be a theme park, a combination Santa land, a frontier land — there was a skeleton of a giant pumpkin, a Santa's workshop, and a fieldstone cottage. But it never opened. It was abandoned."
Her other favorite place was the library.
"My favorite stories growing up were fairy tales and fantasy stories," she said. And she loved horses.
"Horses are probably why I became an artist," she said. "I was always drawing horses when I was young."
Sanderson got her first horse when she was 13, the same year that she taught herself to paint in oils, and her first oil painting was of a horse.
She still owns two horses now, and several of the books she has illustrated have been about horses, including her latest entitled "Hush, Little Horsie" by Yolen.
"It's been a life-long thing," she said.
Picture books require about 16 paintings.
"Some are small vignettes that I can finish in a day," she said. "Bigger ones take a week. But major paintings usually take about a month each."
For many of her paintings, Sanderson photographs models in period costumes, often requiring research to ensure that the costumes are authentic.
"Then I elaborate," she said, "filling in the paintings with lots of details."
She creates color and sparkle and surrounds it all with fantasy and whimsy.
In 30 years, she has illustrated more than 70 books, and written and illustrated another 12.
She started writing and illustrating her own children's stories in 1988 with "The Twelve Dancing Princess," which was published in 1990.
Sanderson has done personal paintings that have been turned into puzzles, collectors' plates, greeting cards and other products.
The athenaeum show includes some of the Lenox holiday plates, and illustrations from her books, "The Snow Princess" and "The Night Before Christmas."
She also paints on commission.
Her most recent project is a large fantasy painting for Realms of Fantasy Magazine.
"It's of a swan troika," she explained, "a sleigh in the shape of a swan driven by a beautiful water spirit. When I get an assignment that appeals to me, it becomes a personal painting. The great thing about being an illustrator is that they pay you for the painting, and then they give it back to you."
She added, "I enjoy my work and I've been very fortunate to be able to make a living doing what I love."
Sanderson works out of Cottage Street Studios in Easthampton, where she lives with her family.
For more information, visit her website at www.ruthsanderson.com.
Event: Ruth Sanderson's "Enchanted World"
When: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 2 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. through Dec. 30
Where: Westfield State University Downtown Art Gallery, 105 Elm St., Westfield
Cost: Free
For more info: www.wsc.ma.edu
Event: Ruth Sanderson's "Snow Stories"
When: Mondays through Fridays, 8:30 to 8 p.m., Saturdays 8:30 to 5 p.m., through Dec. 31
Where: Westfield Athenaeum, 6 Elm St., Westfield
Cost: Free
For more info: (413) 568-7833