Archival Photos of Bank of Sonoma County Opening

I was doing some research and came across an interesting website called worldcat that links to different library systems.  It took me to a couple of archival photos of Ruth Dicker.  Eventually, it led me to a number of great photos taken by Don Meacham at the Sonoma County Library.  The notes read, "Lawrence Simons, building architects, Ruth Dicker, landscape painter, John P. Long president of Bank of Sonoma County, bank located at corner of First and D. Streets."  I have never seen any of these photos before, but I have seen this painting.  The dates seem to disagree on 1967 or 1973.

The Artist's Studio

The memories I have of Ruth Dicker's house are like a museum. It was filled to the brim with her art, the art of her friend's, and everything that inspired her. It was full, but everything had a place. Her studio in particular was good representation of her creative process. The plywood floor of the studio was covered in thousands of drops of paint. The shelves were packed with sketches, photos, and magazine clippings; mostly of trees. I wish I had more pictures to share, but I do have some pictures that show what I am talking about.

Here is the desk in her studio:

Her kitchen. Note the glass bottles on the shelf were a mix of colored glass and clear glass with colored water:

There was even art hanging from the trees in the backyard:

Empire College in Santa Rosa

I thought Ruth Dicker had sold some paintings to Empire College, but I didn't know exactly where it was. I happened to be in the Santa Rosa today and stopped in to see if I could find any. They had one as soon as you walk in the front door and one up the stairwell from the main lobby. Here they are:

Almond Orchard, 1974

Fog in the Valley, 1983