Portrait of an Artist: Lynne Rutter

There is a unique kind of artisan that not only produces sublime work but also possesses extraordinary knowledge about design, color, architecture and art history. If you are lucky enough as a client to have one in your area, they will elevate your project simply through their talent and innate understanding of what your space needs. One such artisan is Lynne Rutter. She runs a thriving studio based in San Francisco with commissions throughout the U.S.and has over 25 years of professional experience as a decorative painter.

Artisan: Lynne Rutter

Lynne is well-known for her ornamental ceilings, surreal-scale figurative murals and a fearless use of color. She has a BFA from UC Berkeley, where she studied architecture and design as well as fine art. I started out as a scenic artist in the 1980′s when trompe l’oeil and faux finishes were enjoying a level of popularity I have not seen since. I sought out the best decorative painters and apprenticed with them, working for very low wages to gain experience. I then managed a large international commercial mural studio for 4 years and learned the technical aspects of running a mural business, she explains. She founded her own studio in 1990.

We recently had a chance to e-chat as she was winding down from her beautiful wedding to composer Erling Wold.

RG: Congratulations! I think you had my favorite type of wedding: fun, wildly artistic and deeply personal. It must be amazing to marry another talented artisan. Considering your union, what are your personal preferences in music?
LR: Music is very important to me and it’s probably no coincidence that my husband is a composer whose work I adore. I have kind of a punk rock past but I am very eclectic in my tastes now, so I also love classical music, swing music, opera, gyspy jazz and non-western folk music. I have no idea what genres Radiohead, Philip Glass or Fila Brazillia fall into, but they are in heavy rotation at my studio.

RG: I imagine with your love of period design that you travel quite a bit. What have been some of the most inspiring spaces you’ve seen that had decorative painting?
LR: There is so much amazing painting to see out there, and I do love to travel. I have found inspiring moments in grand rooms and little hallways alike. Some more notable places: the Gallery of Maps in the Vatican Palace, and the lesser known Salette Borgia and Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Pres in Paris. Here in San Francisco, if you go to Coit Tower there are some spectacular WPA murals inside. All over Italy there are wonderful churches and villas with breathtaking decor inside. Some of my favorite painted rooms are in the Lower Belvedere Palace, Vienna. Last time I went there it took me four hours to pry my eyes off the ceilings and we kind of got locked in when they closed for the day. I had to ask the guard to let us out. I started my blog in large part to have a place to post these pictures.

Lynne sneaking a pic in the Lower Belvedere Palace (Vienna)

RG: What are some of your favorite go-to materials you use in your work?
LR: I use paint- usually acrylics, oils, casein. I paint all my maquettes in gouache. Whenever possible I like to add gold leaf. And I swear by good quality brushes. My favorite tools are my scenic fitches, a #6 synthetic round and a good sable liner.

Lynne has participated in the restoration of painted ornament in churches and civic buildings, as well as in Victorian and period-revival homes. While she does contemporary work in modern homes, adorning a previously barren space with historic-inspired murals and ornament has become one of her signature looks. Her work has been featured in numerous national design magazines and books on interior design. Recent commissions include two public libraries, the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the Malibu home of Barbra Streisand (to be featured in Ms. Streisand’s upcoming book, Passion for Design) and in illustrations for Williams-Sonoma.

RG: Any art books or artist biographies that you recommend for usto read?
LR: I love books and have a huge library. I adore doing research for my work and all the things I learn in the process. When I re-launched my website last year, I posted my library there in my own little bookshop.

RG: What has been the most fulfilling project you’ve been involved with?
LR: The project that shaped my career the most was a 10 x 13 foot mural I painted based on Girl With A Pearl Earring by Vermeer. I was painting it over 600% of the original size, so I had to come up with a different technique and a lot more information, or I risked having it look like a billboard. I had the most supportive patroness, who paid me well and gave me plenty of time to go through whatever process I needed to be happy with the work. While I could have cranked the mural out in a week, I took this painting much further, and at some point decided to invest myself in it as an artist, not just as a painter. When it was done we had an opening party for her, and I invited people to the studio to drink champagne and get a close look before I took her down for installation on site. From then on, I no longer viewed my chosen career as just my job, but also as my art. Ever since that epiphany I have pushed my work further on every job I do, no matter what the budget or deadline. I completely dismissed all the negative messages I had ever heard telling me what I cannot do and I take bigger chances with my designs.

I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know Lynne and seeing a bit of her incredible artistry. Please take a moment to look at her website and blog. Lynne also has a renowned studio where she teaches workshops between commissions. She is traveling to the IDAL convention in Portland to teach Painterly Cloud Ceilings.

When asked about a personal artisan philosophy and last words of advice, Lynne says, “One of my favorite painting teachers told me something that I find really helps me, especially when I am teaching: Every artist is essentially self-taught. You can get the techniques and knowledge handed to you in a class or on a silver platter, but the artistry comes from the time you spend alone, in practice. So much of what is satisfying about my work is how much I keep learning and how doing something well is worth the extra effort. Beautiful work improves the lives of those who see it and raises the esteem of the entire trade, not just my own reputation. It last longer than whatever you can possibly buy with the money you earned doing it. The Sistine Chapel ceiling would not be the masterpiece that it is if Michelangelo was just trying to make a profit. The best piece of advice I can give is this: Do your best, always, and believe in yourself. The day you realize you deserve what you really want, you will get it.“