Raised on the edge of the Finger Lakes National Forest in central New York, Kari Ganoung Ruiz has always felt a deep connection to the natural world. Her early experiences in the landscape laid the foundation for a creative path shaped by observation, craft, and curiosity. After earning a degree in Fine Art, she worked as a faux finisher, muralist, and picture framer. She and her husband, Diego, an artist working in stereo photography, wood, and glass, also co-owned a boutique gallery and framing studio.In 2014, Kari shifted her focus fully to painting outdoors. She found herself drawn to the changing light of transitional spaces: moments between night and day, calm and storm, shadow, and sun. This interest in light and atmosphere keeps her out painting at unconventional hours, often in remote and beautiful places. Whether encountering a wolf in Yellowstone, chasing sunrise along Florida’s coastline, or unknowingly sleeping through a tornado in Missouri, her plein air practice is as much about experience as it is about image-making. Now based in Interlaken, New York, Kari travels across the country painting the places she explores, capturing moments that feel fleeting, honest, and alive.