The quote by Ramona Gibbs is evident in her semi-realistic self-portrait. The work started from her mirror image, with portions of 2 watercolors in the background which reference art styles of the past, while looking to the future. In this painting we see the artist as she is. The viewer is forced to not only see the artist as she used to be but also see what she will become.
Ramona Gibbs, self-portrait Looking Forward (Watercolor)
Trips to the western United States, coastal Maine, and Alaska provide the framework for most of Ramona's paintings where she focuses on the natural beauty of her surroundings. She is interested in the designs and patterns of nature, both intricate and abstract.
Into the Woods (Watercolor)
Her watercolors go well beyond the actual site image as memory and emotion take hold. She is moved by the natural forms she sees, believing that beauty can be found in the smallest details as well as in the grander view.
Desert Days (Watercolor)
Interest in art came at an early age for Ramona. She comes from a family of artists. Her grandfather, George Fort Gibbs was a well-known painter, illustrator and author from Pennsylvania. Her father was the recipient of the prestigious Prix de Rome in sculpture. Her mother, Maurine Montgomery Gibbs was a sculptor and painter from whom Ramona learned a love of nature, color and design.
Maurine Gibbs working on a sculpture of Ramona in her Rosemont, Pennsylvania studio, 1947
Ramona received a BA in English and Visual Arts from Denison University in 1966 and an MA in English Literature from the University of Colorado in 1968. She completed additional study in watercolor painting and color theory, and in 1971 studied drawing and portrait painting at the City and Guilds of London Art School.
City and Guilds of London Art School
Let's take a look at some of Ramona's other work you will see at The Sheared Edge.
Peony (Watercolor)
Two of a Kind (Watercolor)
Jellyfish I (Watercolor)
Jellyfish II (Watercolor)
Ramona works mainly in watercolor and acrylic. She has shown nationally and internationally and her paintings can be found in collections throughout the country. Recently, she was the featured artist in an article entitled, "Illinois Women Artists," appearing in the May-June, 2016, issue of Illinois Heritage magazine.
Ramona Gibbs