I Got My Hands on My Hips

Rip Woods’s daughter, Dee Dee Woods (1961–2018) grew up in Phoenix. From early childhood on, she spent hours in the art studio with her dad or in the kitchen with her grandmother. She attended Phoenix College and Arizona State University, studying culinary arts and photography. She had a gift of bringing people together through both. Dee Dee Woods traveled internationally, photographing people’s commonalities around the world. Her images told a story about the spirit of Black peoples’ immortal legacy, strength, and struggle. “Photography is magic, we are not monolithic, the viewer will experience a myriad of expressions, this is merely how I saw things.” — Dee Dee Woods

Pretty Girl (in Senegal)

Madison Wabash: Bud & Louie

Madison Wabash: Hey Momma

“Rip was my beginning painting and drawing and color concepts professor at Arizona State University, and he became my dear friend. The greatest lesson I learned from him is broken down into one simple phrase, which he’d often recite: ‘This is to that as that is to this.’ I have no favorite color, and like him, I enjoy using color, texture, or pattern to either pull things forward or push things back in my paintings.” — Donald Robbins Donald Robbins began drawing at 11 years old and studied art throughout high school. He attended Arizona State University, Columbia College Chicago, and Mesa Community College. The North Meets South series is a collection of works that have come to symbolize the great migration, from the south to the north, of freed African slaves.

I’m a Fool for You

“Rip Woods had a profound influence on his students, and many of us continue to be inspired by the wisdom of his works and words. Perhaps the best motivation from Rip is contained in this quote: ’We are never so advanced, but what we cannot benefit from a good review of the basics.’ My work currently is an expression of those words, whether in art, or my other passion, dog agility training. Not surprisingly, dogs are frequently the subject of my pencil or brush.” — Helen Parkhill Roosevelt “Rip” Woods was Parkhill’s art teacher at Camelback High School. After her graduation from Arizona State University (ASU) with a degree in education, she taught in local elementary schools. During a sabbatical, she returned to ASU to study with Woods as a master of fine arts candidate and worked as a teaching assistant in the ASU School of Art. During that time, she was able to learn valuable lessons in art and life from Woods.

Jazz

A Rain Rat with a Bad Case of Dandruff

Bert (dedicated to Roberta)

These small silk screens were commissioned by Neiman Marcus department stores for their Christmas cards.

Chameleons Do It, II

Church at Sunset

Color Cannot be Contained, Nor the Spirit There In – Hallelujah

Cows Never Wear a Mask

Heart

Lookin’ at Fo’Toes

Los Angeles de Colór

These small silk screens were commissioned by Neiman Marcus department stores for their Christmas cards.

Untitled

Untitled (Judas)

Untitled (lady with heart)

Untitled (red and green)

These small silk screens were commissioned by Neiman Marcus department stores for their Christmas cards.

Untitled (self-portrait)

Witnessing Temptation

You Don’t Know Me, But I Know You

Hedge

“Sadly, I can't find Rip's recipe for a barbeque sauce that he had me make for the fabled Valentine’s weekend campout, cookout, and art exchange in the desert, out past Apache Junction. What I do have is great memories of the man, the artist, and friend. I met Rip in grad school, and, for me, he was one of the most supportive and influential professors, though I never had a class with him. I am very fortunate that the friendship continued for the rest of his life.” — Ron Bimrose Ron Bimrose has been exhibiting and making art in the Phoenix area since 1976. He is a master printmaker and printmaking teacher at Mesa Arts Center. His work is in the collections of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York; the Corcoran in Washington, D.C.; and Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, among many other national institutions.

"Nothing But Blue Skies..."

Rhyme

Right to Life, Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis, D’Sean Perry, Uvalde, Philando Castille, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Trayvon Martin, Pulse, Breonna Taylor, Aurora, Tamir Rice, Tree of Life Synagogue, Michael Brown, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Ahmaud Arbery, Highland Park, King Soopers, Columbine . . .

“Rip was my first painting teacher and my art mentor—and a huge influence in my development as an artist. I greatly admired his modern artistic aesthetic, his use of color and form, and, especially, the way that he expressed his life experiences and political ideals. It was Rip and Dr. Eugene Grigsby’s mentoring and invitation to join ABC (Artists of the Black Community) that influenced my life direction and continuing work as an art educator.” — Susan Copeland Susan Copeland is a Phoenix native, educated at the Art Students League of New York and Arizona State University. A dedicated social activist, her work deals with social justice issues. She has exhibited her artwork locally, nationally, and in Russia as part of a cultural exchange. Copeland teaches ceramics at Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix.

Giraffe Giraffe

“Rip Woods was my instructor for several classes while I was an Arizona State University graduate student in art. I was struggling during that time, and I found my conversations with Rip to be comforting, not because he was attempting to mentor me in any obvious way. Rip listened to me, but I mostly wanted to listen to everything he said. His carefully spoken words were emphasized with pauses, which caused me to be even more interested in what he might say next. I had a sense of great depth of thought. A few years later, when Rip announced his retirement, I arranged a modest retirement get-together with some fellow grad students at Mitchell Studios. We ended up sitting on the sidewalk out front for relaxed conversation. He seemed grateful for our small gathering, and we were grateful to have him there. I wanted Rip to feel appreciated, but instead he made us feel appreciated. All these years later, I am still grateful for my time with Rip Woods, a person of big heart and large intellect.” — Carolyn Lavender Phoenix resident Carolyn Lavender grew up in the suburbs outside of Seattle. Born in 1959, she was 17 when her family moved to the Phoenix area, which was a difficult change from the fields and woods of the Pacific Northwest. She earned a bachelor of fine arts in drawing, and a bachelor of science in education at Northern Arizona University, followed by a master of fine arts in drawing from Arizona State University. For 15 years she taught high school art, and currently teaches for Phoenix College. Lavender is an active part of the Phoenix arts community.