The "SXM: Ruby" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Told Carol I would be back in an hour or so as I left our rental villa in Orient Village.  My mission today was to find the gallery of one of St. Martin's most famous artists and poets, Ruby Bute.  

Sign to Ruby Bute's Gallery in St. Martin

I had been searching for her gallery for most of my vacation and finally was told she could be found on the road to Friar's Bay.  Wasn't long before I headed back the road.  I reached the parking lot at Friars and knew I must have missed the gallery, so I headed back, retracing my path.  Sure enough, there was a sign on a light post telling me of her gallery.  Along the bottom of the sign read: Please honk your horn & wait for the gate to open, thanks.  

Parked the car, opened the gate and entered into a
world of art, poetry and friendship.

Well, I found the gate which told me to make sure to close it after entering.  Found a parking space and helped myself to opening the gate and naturally closing it behind myself.  Off in the distance I could see a woman sitting by an outdoor table.  She motioned me toward her and in a minute I was shaking the hand of Ruby Bute.  She told me to sit with her as she finished her breakfast of whole wheat bread and pieces of cheese.  

Ruby's gallery.  Her residence was to the right of her studio.

Wasn't long before her white cat made a visit to my side.  Reached down and stroked her head as she looked at me.  Ruby told me she doesn't usually allow strangers to touch her.  I must be someone special to her.  Ruby told me she was born in Aruba and eventually moved to St. Martin in 1983.  The home she lives in now belonged to her father who gave it to her upon his death a few years ago.  We sat outside her kitchen talking about her love of art and I told her about my work in stained glass.  

This beautiful tree sat next to her home.

Our conversation was about family, art and life in general.  She then wanted to show me some of the paintings she had in her home and ushered me into the kitchen.  In the corner stood an old easel with plastic containers holding used tubes of oil paint.  After viewing paintings of her family and some of her most recent paintings, she ushered me into an attached room and pointed out seven large boxes that had just arrived by mail.  Inside were some of her latest pieces that she had painted and placed on tiles and framed.  She asked if I could help her open them so I could see what she had just finished.  The first tile was of the enormous tree that sat in front of her house.  Over a hundred years old, it's majestic limbs were displayed in many pieced of her artwork I had viewed.  

Ruby showing me one of her latest tiles she had just finished.

She told me about the man who had brought her old metal shutters that had been blown off buildings during the recent Hurricane Irma that destroyed much of the island.  She used the shutters to paint upon and then transferred to tiles which are now in frames.  We opened all seven boxes and I heard the story of each as we talked about her work.  A few of the tiles had some of the glue used to hold them in the frames smeared on the tile's surface as well as the frame.  

The artist's oil tubes and easel.

I helped her clean the frame and tiles of the glue and after repackaging them, carried them back into her home.  This beautiful woman, who had never met me until an hour before, was my best friend in no time.  I told her I had to return to my rental as she too had some errands to run.  I promised to stop as soon as I could so I could visit her studio and purchase a piece of her artwork.  I did make another stop a few days later, but found she wasn't at home.  My vacation had ended and I did not get to return to visit with Ruby.  I hope she understood that my not returning wasn't due to not appreciating her artwork, but due to time constraints during my vacation to the island.  

Sample of Ruby's artwork.

Just that hour or so I did get to spend with her told me volumes about her and her love of art and humanity.  I haven't forgotten you Ruby!!  I will return on my next visit to  the island.  It will be on the top of my list of things to do.  Please accept my apology for not returning!  She is one very special lady and St. Martin is so lucky to have her as an ambassador for their island.  And, I can hardly wait to tell my cats about this beautiful girl I had a chance to pet during my visit.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Another painting of the tree I have pictured above.