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"the light / the shade" series, Patmos, Greece, 2017

Paintings from my "the light / the shade" series, painted in Patmos and Lipsi, Greece, 2017

Contact me at abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase any of my Greece paintings below. First come, first served. To request larger and detail views of any painting, feel free to contact me. Also, if I have any current auctions, you can view those here.

* I recommend viewing painting images in a darkened room or in the evening, as the color and subtle values will show up on your computer screen more accurately. Paintings will sell to the first person who emails me back to purchase and/or who makes the best offer. Payment can be by Paypal or check or Venmo. S&H will be additional; calculated based on painting size/weight to your location. Sales tax will be added for PA residents.



My paintings from Patmos (all are unframed):


Pear on Blue Block from Patmos, Greece (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
6” x 4” unframed
$1700
SOLD - Private collection
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase a very limited edition print


Still Life with Lemon and Greek Bottle (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
3 ½” x 4” unframed
$1300
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase


Still Life with Greek Bottle, Hand-picked Grapes and Grape Leaf (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
8” x 10” unframed
$3500
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase


Barbounia (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
6” x 8” unframed
$2300
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase


Still Life with Four Peaches on a Silver Platter (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
6” x 7” unframed
$2300
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase


Two Cherry Tomatoes on Wood Blocks (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
5” x 4” unframed
$1550
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase


Olive Branch (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
6” x 4” unframed
$1700
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase


Kastelli Sunset, Patmos, Greece (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
5” x 5” unframed
$1700
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase


Psili Amos Beach, Patmos, Greece (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
5” x 6” unframed
$1700
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase


Psili Amos Beach, Patmos, Greece (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
5” x 4” unframed
$1550
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase


Livadi Geranou, Patmos, Greece (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
5” x 6” unframed
$1700
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase


Meloi Beach No. 1 (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
4” x 5” unframed
$1550
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase


Hoklakoura Beach, Lipsi, Greece (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
4” x 6” unframed
$1700
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase


View of Agios Georgios, Kastelli, Patmos, Greece, afternoon (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
6” x 4” unframed
$1700
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase



Still Life with Copper Pot and Pears (the light, the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
8” x 10”
$3500
SOLD - Private collection


Bougainvillea in a Glass Cup (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
3 ½” x 4”
$1300
SOLD - Private collection
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase a very limited edition print


Kastelli View of Skala, Midday (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
5” x 4”
Not for sale 
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase a very limited edition print


Still Life with Greek Olives on a Plate (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
5” x 6”
Not for sale
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase a very limited edition print


Chora Reflected in Farm Door, Noon (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
6” x 4”
Not for sale
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase a very limited edition print


Meloi Beach No. 2 (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
5” x 6”
Not for sale
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase a very limited edition print


Fresh Gavros (Anchovies) (the light / the shade), 2017
Oil on linen on panel
6” x 7”
Not for sale
Contact abbeyryan@gmail.com to purchase a very limited edition print


Ink drawing of the Acropolis, Athens
Not for sale


Ink drawing of view of Skala from Kastelli
Not for sale



These "landscapes and still lifes in oil on linen represents the culmination of a 2017 research excursion to the Greek island of Patmos. This remote destination, known for its pure light, harsh terrain, and lack of shade, served as the longtime home of the American poet Robert Lax (1915-2000), whose singular form of minimalist poetry and seemingly solitary existence inspired Ryan to start "the light / the shade" series in 2012. Executed either during Ryan’s travels, or inspired by her related research, these postcard sized images depict native fish and fruit as well as island views, some reflected in or framed by windows and doors. Acute to the paradoxes of illumination and rendered in an economical but expressive hand, the paintings are presented alongside passages from Lax’s book-length poem "the light / the shade" (1989) set in grey type adhered to walls painted deep blue. Distinguished by their vertical format in which each line is comprised of a single syllable, these short texts parse language into its elemental components to explore contrasts regarding light and time, seeing and being. They are simultaneously abstract and descriptive, visual and verbal. The resulting connections established between these meditative paintings and poems are further supported by a network of personal and historic associations." ~Matthew Borgen, ARC Exhibition Program. View 2018 exhibition images here.