Victoria Ryan

Early Heroes and the Rural Landscape

victoriaryan — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:27:47 +0000

When I was a kid one of my favorite artists was Andrew Wyeth. I had a book on his art and I remember studying it and admiring the beautiful starkness of mood he was able to create with his gorgeous watercolors and egg tempera paintings, two media that I myself delved into “back in the day.” Later it was Edward Hopper who I meditated on with abandon. My dear friend from art school, Terry Jane and I flew to San Francisco from L.A. to see his retrospective at SF’s MOMA in 1981. We still laugh because we had to carry our luggage through the museum. Apparently we would have done anything to see a once in a lifetime event like that. Hopper’s landscapes propelled the painter within me. The common thread between the two is the sense of stillness, of solitude these artists so beautifully achieve in their depictions of scenes from their surroundings and their travels.

In the series of work I have been developing over the past several years involving rural architecture, I feel a sense of going back to my roots as a painter to the initial inspirations that guided what my painting has always been about at its core. Though my earliest work was decidedly more suburban in subject matter – as was my actual surroundings, the thread of my early obsession with painting masters Wyeth and Hopper was always there.

In my work, and with pastel specifically there is a tendency for it to create a dreamlike atmospheric feeling in the finished work. Since I continue to play with the premise of a heightened sense of reality or a dreamlike version of same, it continues to be my favorite medium of choice. My latest completed pastel landscape painting in the rural architecture series is “Green Roofs.” I was very attracted to this composition for its sense of disquieting calm amidst a blaze of color, pattern and light.

And the journey continues…..

"Green Roofs" Pastel 23x31"

What Inspires

victoriaryan — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:45:13 +0000

In November my husband and I visited a favorite inn in Ashland Oregon, the Ashland Mountain House Bed and Breakfast. This was our second trip at the same time of year. We love the area in Southern Oregon and the rich fall colors of the landscape there. My previous series revolving around Litha Park were created from there and I continue to reach into my vast array of photographic files and sketches to create studio paintings. Interestingly from all of the beautiful landscapes I have captured on film, this little composition from the inn called to me. At the time this was a sweet moment captured. I remember wandering the grounds with my husband as we crunched through a sea of leaves and I happened upon this little courtyard. I can still feel the crisp fall morning air as I look at this and how I felt at the time – very calm but alive, much like the scene. There is something about small moments in time and how they resonate over and over. I’ll still revisit the vast, colorful landscapes in future work but at times it is wonderful to be able to relive sweet moments in time through the process of painting.

"Arbor at the Inn" Pastel 14x11

Sun Sets on Emerson Dairy

victoriaryan — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:26:06 +0000

In December I finished a commissioned painting – a 30×40″ pastel depicting the land and view of Mt. Diablo from the Emerson Dairy property in Oakley California. I met Trish Emerson at the Sausalito Art Festival and she told me about having grown up in Oakley and the Dairy was in her family for generations going back to the late 1800’s. Ironically enough, I had lived in the same area from 1989 through 1999 and was familiar with the arid landscape that exists there.

Now, the last of the land, property and buildings had been sold and she wanted to give her parents a gift for Christmas to memorialize the property – a pastel painting for their new home which they were in the process of building. After spending an afternoon walking the property and taking reference photographs I chose a composition from one of Trish’s favorite areas of the property to do the painting from.

On Christmas, Trish’s parents were presented with the painting and were reportedly elated. This was one of the most enjoyable commissions I’ve worked on and I’ve created hundreds in my career. Trish selected another painting I created from the site – of the grainery building seen below. After giving a gift like that she had to go home with something to remind her of such an amazing and historically significant place. Thank you Trish and thank you Emerson Family!

“Yellow House at the End”

victoriaryan — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:49:21 +0000

"Yellow House at the End"

My recent pastel painting “Yellow House at the End” received a “Best of Landscape” award at the 52nd Annual Spring Exhibition at the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka, CA this past weekend. This is one of a continuing series I have been developing over the past few years of compositions from local alleys and street views from the area in which I live. The juror for this event was Debra Lehane, curator of the Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation in Geyserville, CA.

Commission Installation

victoriaryan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:54:14 +0000

Garden

French Vineyard

Dining Room Wall

We recently delivered and installed a three piece pastel painting commission to new collectors in San Francisco. Their home, which they completely restored, was stunningly beautiful inside and out so it was an absolute joy placing my work in their surroundings. This is the same commission discussed several posts earlier. I’m confident that they were happy with how everything turned out. Custom framing was done by Art Brokers Inc. in Sausalito.

My Interview on Whopple.com

victoriaryan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:14:23 +0000

Renowned Publicist and online marketing maven Anne Marie Baugh is featuring an interview with me on her site Whopple.com I am so delighted to have met her and that she is currently featuring me on her site which is devoted to highlighting and promoting fine artists and their work. Thank you Anne Marie!

Best of America-Pastel Vol II Online!

victoriaryan — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:58:56 +0000

Kennedy Publishing has posted the entire Vol. II of Best of America-Pastel online. To view the portal page to the book

click HERE. To go directly to the section of the book where my pages are click HERE. I am on pages 73-74. The actual book can be ordered directly from the Publisher.

Thank you Kennedy Publishing for inviting me to showcase my work in this beautiful book!

Pastel Painting Commissions

victoriaryan — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:18:45 +0000

For the last 6 weeks I have been working on a series of commissioned paintings for new collectors in San Francisco. With the 3 paintings successfully completed, approved and now being framed I am now in the preparation stage for the next commission. My San Francisco patrons have been wonderful to work with and the process has gone as smoothly as I could possibly hope for. I promised them at the onset that working with me to have their fine art dreams realized would be a rewarding adventure and I did not want to disappoint. When creating paintings for clients I try to zero in on just exactly what it was that drew them to my work in the first place. Was it the sense of color, mood, the texture of pastel, a particular composition, the dramatic use of light, a sense of stillness in a particular painting or was it simply all of it. Understanding what evokes and inspires an individual or a couple about my work is very important when I am given the opportunity to create something new for them. My San Francisco collectors, as a couple had different points of view and likes about the direction to take with the series. My job as an artist was to stick to my own vision while being conscious of my client’s wishes. Many artists find this idea daunting. I myself, love the challenge of delivering something beautiful and special to the people who entrust me to create for them. Commissions are a specialty of mine and I have been doing them for my entire 2 and a half decade career. Here are two of the paintings for the San Francisco commission. These garden paintings will be featured in their dining room . I am also including a picture of one of the walls the paintings will appear on as well as the framing choice. We are using a distressed silver moulding from Max Moulding with an umber wash (that warms it up.) Linen wrapped mats with hand painted bevels will set off the paintings. Custom framing will be completed at Art Brokers Inc. in Sausalito, CA.

"French Garden"

"Tangled Up in Blue"

Dining Room Wall

Max Moulding 923S

Author Terry McLaughlin

victoriaryan — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:52:23 +0000

Famed Humboldt County author Terry McLaughlin is featuring my pastels on her new website . Terry is a celebrated romance novelist. Visit her here!

Best of America – Pastel Vol II

victoriaryan — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:02:29 +0000

Earlier this year I was invited by Kennedy Publishing Co. to be featured in one of their Best Of America books, specifically Volume II Pastels, which is in the final stages of completion. I was honored and excited to be chosen to be included in this publication, which consists of both juried entries and invited artists. The paintings chosen for the book are seen above. Clearly my strong color contrasts are what impressed the publishers! The book contents, as well as other offerings from Kennedy Publishing can be viewed at www.bestofartists.com