Ruthieonart

Ruth Eshbaugh is a single mom who lives in Plano Texas with her two grown son Sean and Scott. She has always loved art and writing. Ruth attended Brevard Community College in Melbourne Florida in Fines arts. Her first job was in drafting. It led to a job in the art department of a large electronics corporation that produced technical manuals. This enabled Ruth to become proficient in pen and ink. It was there that she was introduced to computer graphics. Ruth is a graphic artist by trade.

Shortly before she quit work to be a stay at home mom Ruth accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior. Up until that time she had been writing and having Haiku and short poems published. Ruth had her first Haiku booklet published in 1988. The work was chosen from a hundred submissions to a contest. It was an expression of her new faith.

Ruth took numerous classes at the Brevard Museum of Art and had two watercolors accepted at a juried show at the museum. While her children were young she discovered other creative expressions; cross stitch, quilting, arts and crafts. Ruth especially related to quilting. Taking bits and pieces of life and somehow fitting them into a pattern that is pleasing to the eyes reflected the world of interruptions she lived in. It was something she could easily pick up and put down. Ruth met her quilt mentor at church. Nancy encouraged her to be an artist who quilts. Soon she was making baby quilts for friends. In a few years Ruth began to sell her mini quilts or wall hangings at arts and craft shows incorporating her faith into the designs.

After six years of shows Ruth decided she had had enough. It was then that the Lord began to move in her life in a new way. It was an invitation from Him to enter into creative pursuits, but this time from His deep abiding presence in her life.

Two events were instrumental to this beginning. Both began the summer of 1999. The first and most amazing one to her was being asked to help create a concept design for the stained glass window for the new sanctuary at her church Hunters’ Glen Baptist Church. From her work on the window Ruth began to see that being an artist continues even when you don't have a paint brush in your hand. Her hands, she thought, had been empty for years. It took her oldest son Sean to point out that he could not remember her ever not being creative. Ruth began to see that being an artist is a way of seeing things, the rest comes with practice. Now she is dedicated to looking at things from God's eyes. Her prayer is that He would let her see people, places, and things as He sees them.

The second event occurred when the Wednesday evening Bible study prayer group Ruth was attending started writing devotionals. Writing opened a flood gate in her. When she is faithful to listen, and faithful to write, the Lord supplies her abundantly with things to write about. What a joy!

Ruth is currently the webmaster for www.goodnewsnow.com. She attends the University of Texas at Dallas part time majoring in Fine Arts with a minor in Writing. Her online portfolio www.ruthieonart.com is dedicated to her interests in faith, art and writing. She has been active in her church as a Bible study teacher and Women’s ministry leader. Ruth started two ministries; Women’s Evangelism and Art Ministry there. She has traveled to Canada and Russia on mission trips and plans to go where ever else God leads.