Artist:	Ilene Rubin
Website:	http://www.ilenerubin.com
Biography:	Ilene Rubin has been a painter all her life even though she only painted once in a while for 30 years. The curve of a road, the way a mountain reflects in a river, a bridge over a creek and a crooked tree... These are the things that become subject matter for the canvas. At the age of 5 when asked 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' there was only one answer and it was immediate: "An artist." After many years of taking the side roads that led away from being an artist, Ilene finally began painting regularly when her husband bought her an easel, paints, brushes, canvases and paint. "Paint. Go ahead and paint." It was a birthday gift and it's kept on giving ever since. That was that. Acrylics, watercolors, and water soluble oils are what Ilene uses most often. She started with decorative art on everyday items around the house. Those themes leaned toward the mystical, whimsical and celestial and eventually led to a home based business called Black Cat Treasures. Now it's expanded into a full fledged online business that celebrates the seasons and reasons, the intentions and motivations of those areas of the spirit and soul that sees beauty in a full moon or vision of celestial patterns. Favoring the autumn holidays, Ilene painted Halloween themes and autumn themes and became a member of several Halloween artist groups, such as the online group, Society of Eclectic Halloween Artists and Halloween Year Round. Taking that a step further into the market that loved her art, Ilene focused on the new age and folk art markets that enjoyed her art as a way to decorate their sacred spaces while still maintaining a tongue in cheek humor that is evident in her plaques and jars, bottles and painted books. Always looking to a new design or pattern, Ilene uses any surface to make useful items artful. Each item is hand painted and signed. Not content to paint only boxes, bottles, tins, tables and birdhouses, Ilene also creates on canvas that which is beautiful and moving. Whether still waters or a country road, there will always be a vision of stepping into a location and knowing what's around the bend. Still experimenting with style, composition and texture, Ilene's emotional style depicts a sense of movement and light, expectation and a bit of surprise. She can be found in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in the fall, California whenever possible and Niwot, Colorado as a home base, where she is living happily ever after with her husband, who is the love of her life, and her chocolate lab, Mocha. You may contact her at [contact David Hanauer for this email address]. -- UPDATE (December 2008): Ilene is now happily living on a 55 acre farm in Bucks County, PA, courtesy of the Johns.

New Hope Lambertville Bridge

Bucks County, Pennsylvania Road in Autumn

New Hope Canal in October

Long Winding Road

Bucks County Farm

The Road to the Old Red Barn