When I came across the artwork of David Ruiz I was initially struck by his bold pallet and the inexplicable calm and energetic compositions. Somehow these pieces make me feel peaceful and awake, relaxed and excited. It’s always amazed me how an image that is made to represent nothing, in particular, can bring up very specific emotions. That is one of the wonderful powers of abstraction, an artist paints something that doesn’t look like anything, yet we find all kinds of meaning in it.