Ruth Kapcia: Resilience in Bloom
August 6 - 29, 2026
First Thursday Art Walk - Thursday August 6th, 5-8pm
Melted Oil Pastel Demonstrations - Saturday August 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th, 1-4pm
Closing Reception - Saturday August 29th, 4-6pm
Dahlia paintings rendered in melted wax create a fresh series balancing the sorrow and joy of the current moment by drawing on traditional flower symbolism. Kapcia melts oil pastels into multi-layered pointillism images based on her own photography from a Skagit Valley nursery in the PNW.
Resilience In Bloom is a new series of work by artist Ruth Kapcia.
This show aims to present new works that focus on what appears to be a simple subject but, in fact, has many layers, both visually and in context. Dahlias represent the capacity to withstand or recover from difficulties, both mental and physical. They define elegance, grace, inner strength, resilience, creativity, and positive change, all elements needed in the current times we live in.
The artist, over the past year, has been trying to define her emotions and thoughts, influenced by events in the US and around the world that she finds very disturbing and distressing, and to find the best way to visualize these sentiments. Exploring the themes of sorrow and joy and the best way to articulate them visually, the artist landed on the subject of flowers, focusing on Dahlias in particular because of what they represent.
Dahlias stand out in the crowd due to their shapes and colors.
Red: Power, strength, kindness, and positive, fresh starts.
Purple/Lavender: Royalty, dignity, and grace.
Pink: Kindness, service, and gracefulness.
White: Purity, innocence, and focus.
Yellow/Orange: Joy, kindness, and high spirits.
Black (Deep burgundy/Maroon): Betrayal and sadness, but also unique elegance and power.
The Dahlia is the National flower of Mexico, representing pride, and used by the Aztecs for its medicinal properties.
Dahlias are cultivated in over 40 countries worldwide and have over 57,000 recognized cultivars, making them a globally popular ornamental plant. Originally native to the high plains and mountains of Mexico, Guatemala, and other Central American regions, these plants thrive in nearly every continent where temperature, proper care, and tropical climates allow them to grow. A simple flower expressed in color and texture can unite us more than we realize or acknowledge.
This fact gives the artist hope that we can weather the times we are in and come out the other side stronger and more resilient.
All images, taken by the artist, are of flowers grown in the Skagit Valley at Roozengaarde, a nursery primarily known for its tulips.
Artist Statement
My goal is to engage the viewer, allowing them to explore and connect more personally with my work, rather than dictating a specific viewpoint. While some of my imagery might be self-explanatory, other imagery is left to the witness’s interpretation and imagination.
I have been working with oil pastels since my early days in art school. At the time, it was an easy medium to use. It was portable and odorless. Initially, I used pastels with higher wax content, but over the past 20 years, I have used higher-oil, pigment-based oil pastels, which allow me to build layers of texture and use the sticks as blending tools. Inspired by the thick use of paint by the Impressionists and Abstract Expressionists, I love the richness and dimensionality that texture provides. Recently, I have explored melting oil pastels with a heating stylus, developing a stippling technique that creates a 3D texture by layering thousands of droplets. This process creates visual interest both up close and from a distance.
In my work, I explore relationships among color, texture, and motion. My early imagery was highly expressive, focusing on abstract environments and employing bold, aggressive strokes. Over time, this evolved into imagery with more complex layering of color and texture for a more 3D effect. My recent work builds up various textures using marks and melted oil pastels. Additionally, I explore how these elements work together (or against each other) to generate energy and produce distinctive imagery.
I love the beauty of the PNW, and one of my favorite things is visiting the Skagit Valley in the fall. Inspired by Dahlias in that area, which represent resilience and resonate with me during the times we are in. My new work brings my photographs to life by layering thousands of dots made with melted oil pastels, creating rich and multi-layered textures.