Artwork ©Ruth Sanderson. All rights reserved.

Artwork ©Ruth Sanderson. All rights reserved.

Stockbridge, MA, August 7, 2012—Norman Rockwell Museum will present Beautiful Simplicity, a two-day oil painting workshop with acclaimed picture book illustrator Ruth Sanderson, on Friday and Saturday, August 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ms. Sanderson will lead students in a look at the use of mood, composition, and narrative in the oil painting medium.  Class participants will examine the portrayal of the single figure in a simple but elegant composition. Starting with a thumbnail drawing, students will then create a finished illustration in oils, with attention to design, color, value, and texture. Admission to the two-day workshop costs $95, $75 for Museum members. Pre-registration recommended by calling the Museum at 413.931.2221.

Ruth Sanderson has illustrated 75 books for children of all ages and retold and illustrated many fairytales, including The Twelve Dancing Princesses; Papa Gatos; Cinderella; The Golden Mare, the Firebird, and the Magic Ring; and The Snow Princess.  Her original fairytale The Enchanted Wood received both the Irma S. Black Award for best picture book of 1992 and the Young Hoosier Award in 1995. The Golden Mare, the Firebird and the Magic Ring won the Texas Bluebonnet Award in 2003. In addition to children’s books, Ruth has done book covers, advertising art, collector’s plates and greeting cards.  The artist’s work has been included in exhibitions around the country, including at Norman Rockwell Museum, The Society of Illustrators, Delaware Museum of Art, the Art Museum of Western Virginia, and numerous science fiction and fantasy conferences. Learn more about the artist’s work at: www.ruthsanderson.com