About the Instructor
Kari Ganoung Ruiz was raised at the edge of The Finger Lakes National Forest in Central New York State, which set the stage for her deep connection to the natural landscape. After receiving her BS in Fine Art Painting from Ashland University in Ohio, Kari and her husband Stereo Photographer Diego Ruiz opened a picture framing studio and Gallery featuring fine art. An encouraging response to her work prompted more space at the boutique to be used to display paintings, and eventually the move to a much larger location. At this time, Kari began to focus on plein air work; feeling the need to learn about light and shadow directly from the natural world. In 2014, the couple moved the gallery online in order to allow both of them to travel and move forward with their artistic careers.
Kari and Diego now travel the US capturing the landscape as they experience it. Whether having a stare down with a wolf in Yellowstone, camping outside a panadería in Santa Cruz for Champurrado, rolling down the palm tree and sea grape lined A1A in Florida, or sleeping through a tornado in Missouri … it’s always an adventure! Awards include Grand Prize Two Rivers Plein Air Festival in Texas 2019, Grand Prize Adirondack Plein Air in New York in 2020, Grand Prize Monuments And Canyons Plein Air Colorado in 2021, Best In Show Paint Grand Traverse in Michigan 2022 and 2023, and Grand Prize Shadows On The Teche in Louisiana 2023. Kari’s work is held in public and private collections across the United States and Canada, most recently added to the collection of the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado.