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a look behind the scenes
About the Designer
Exploring and celebrating life's little luxuries. Designer + illustrator based in Brooklyn, NY.
Back to basics
I studied fine art with an emphasis in oil painting in college. I left school with a set of self-imposed rules and the pressure to make my work deep and dark. I put so much pressure on my work, I ended up abandoning my practice altogether for a few years. After graduation, I started teaching myself graphic design on youtube and eventually built a strong enough portfolio to land me a position as a graphic designer at a stationery company. There, I developed a deep appreciation for illustration and loved the ability to create art with the intention of joy - not to necessarily make something profound.
![](http://phthaloruth.com/cdn/shop/files/meghan-headshot.jpg?v=1712251014&width=1035)
Inner child knows best
Inspired to rediscover why I loved making art so much in the first place, I reached for a box of crayola crayons. I began to sketch some of my favorite things - a croissant, a bottle of prosecco, a coffee mug... The drawings brought me so much joy to create and look at. My first art print, "Prosecco" was born! The thesis of this art print has inspired everything we create at Phthalo Ruth. It's all about celebrating life's little luxuries and manifesting more moments of everyday bliss - however simple they may be.
Italy Everyday
Spanish, French, and Italian cultures are large sources of inspiration, sparked by my first trip abroad in 2015. I had spent many years yearning for international travel until finally manifesting my dream of studying art in Italy. This felt like a very unattainable goal in the environment I grew up in. The idea of studying abroad in Italy was distant and surreal. Magically, my dream life had become a reality, sitting and having a spritz on a patio, hosting dinner parties with my new friends in an apartment overlooking the duomo, and walking through the streets of Firenze to my ‘en plein air’ oil painting class. I pull inspiration from my memories there, yearning to have them again but also optimistic knowing I have the power to create more memories. My work is infused with a desire to manifest your dreams, but it's also about celebrating the simple things that are already within your reach and creating special moments every day.
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