The Moorpark College Art Gallery presents San Diego artist Catherine Ruane and her exhibit called “Look Until You See.”

The line of work consists of several intricately drawn pieces of plant life done in charcoal and graphite. The artist’s work demonstrates her technical skills on an intimate level giving the viewer a whole different perspective on the subject matter.

“I have seen Catherine’s work in many exhibits throughout Los Angeles,” said Art Gallery Director Erika Lizee. “She is a prolific artist. I like her close inspection of plant life and the amount of detail that she puts into the work. It is beautiful from a distance, but also very intriguing up close. Charcoal can be hard to handle and she does it exquisitely.”

Ruane’s works speaks for itself through her technique in capturing the life around her while working with difficult drawing materials said Lizee.

During a lecture held on November 5th, the Ruane explained the concept behind her line of work and her fascination for plants and the way it’s meant to be a metaphor for human existence.

“Living-thriving plants possess a method of persistent survival despite the perils that come about such as modern development,” said Ruane. “Plants have an uncanny ability to recover, spill their seeds and carry on despite human folly. The way natural life systems survive interest me.”

After receiving her Master of Fine Arts from Otis College of Art and Design, Ruane eventually wound up back in her home town, the Imperial Valley. Through this journey she found her inspiration to start drawing palm trees because it was an important part of her past time.

“A lot of the things you grow up with leave some kind of impact on your life,” said Ruane. “After some time I realized that what I grew up with really mattered to me.”

As Ruane shared more about her background with the room full of students, she went one to explain the meaning behind her statement for her exhibit “Look Until You See.”

“That statement comes from the famous artist/painter, Georgia O’Keefe,” said Ruane. “She often went out alone into the desert to paint the fragile life forms she found there. She is the one who said ‘Look Until You See’. In other words keep studying the simplest of things until you intimately see it. Don’t be superficial.”

Over the years Raune, has made her mark in the art world having sold artwork to big name companies and opened numerous exhibits in several states across the country according to her website.

The exhibit is currently available to view now through November 19th, Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the administration building next to the President’s office.

Her next line of work is about the Tijuana River and the concept of boundaries.

“The Tijuana River which is a fragile water way that originates in Mexico, works its way across the border and finally confluences with the Pacific Ocean on the U.S. side of the border,” said Ruane. “This waterway is attractive to me because it somehow survives despite the pollution. It travels across the border as if there wasn’t one there. It seems to know no limitations.”

She hopes that through her art work that people will open their eyes and perhaps fall in love with it, because you take care of things you love said Ruane.

For more information on her work visit: www.catherineruane.com