Sunset on the Lake (the light / the shade)

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mys                        mys
ti                             ti
cal                          cal

voy                        rev
age                         o
                              lu
a                            tion
round
                              a
its                          round
own
                              the
ax                          sun
is

Excerpt from the light / the shade by Robert Lax, pp 40-41.

If you enjoy this painting, you can also see other paintings from my the light / the shade series, or my other paintings of sunsets or lakes or landscapes.

If you like instagram, follow me @abbeyryan8 to see the #mindfulstudiopractice poetry and photos I share, in addition to my paintings. On facebook, find me here.

Also, if you're new to my blog, all of my poster downloads are available:

1. Earth Without Art is Just EH
2. Art Enables Us To Find Ourselves, and Lose Ourselves at the Same Time
3. Relax, Slow Down, Simplify
4. One Goes As One Goes, Then One Shall See
5. All Shall Be Well
6. Magic Is Still Possible
7. Art Washes Away from The Soul....

I hope you enjoy using these downloads as your screen background. Feel free to share with your friends using the links above.

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Join my Landscape Painting Online Course

Landscape Painting with Abbey Ryan 
through Arcadia University

• Online Course, FA212.1, 3 credits
• 6 weeks: May 18 - June 25, 2020
• Mondays and Wednesdays, 4:30 - 8:20 PM Eastern (a portion of class time will be your painting time where ever you are and a portion of class time will be individual and group Zoom sessions)
• Cost: $2190 total for 6 weeks

The focus of this course is the direct study of landscape as a painting motif, as understood by painting directly from the source. The class will focus on qualities that are unique to landscape painting in addition to the study of broader issues in painting. Scale of mark in relationship to subject, atmospheric perspective, sense of place, construction of the illusion of space, capturing pictorial light, and painting as an "organism" are considerations that will be highlighted in our study.

Online learning
A portion of class time will be your painting time where ever you are and a portion of class time will be individual and group Zoom sessions.

View some of my landscape paintings here:



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Birds Flying Over the Water

I painted this recently in northern New York state at the Thousand Islands. The Thousand Islands are a group of more than 1,800 islands in the St. Lawrence River, straddling the border of the U.S. and Canada.

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see a bunch of my paintings of landscapes.

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To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Sun Sparkling on the Water

I painted this recently in northern New York state at the Thousand Islands. The Thousand Islands are a group of more than 1,800 islands in the St. Lawrence River, straddling the border of the U.S. and Canada.

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see a bunch of my paintings of landscapes.

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To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

meloi beach, patmos, greece (the light / the shade)

meloi beach, patmos, greece (the light / the shade)
oil on linen on panel, 2017, 4"x5"
AVAILABLE - Contact me at abbeyryan@gmail.com for purchase information

Meloi Beach was my all-time favorite beach on Patmos, Greece. You can view some of my Greek island painting travels here.

Here is a link to a few snapshots
of the making of a short film
about my "the light / the shade" series.

the light / the shade exhibition at Arcadia
Here is a link to a few snapshots of the making of a short film about my "the light / the shade" series. More on that soon.

Today is the final day of my exhibition: abbey ryan: the light / the shade, in the Harrison Gallery at Arcadia University on view from April 16 - June 16. If you enjoy this painting, you can also see other paintings from my the light / the shade series. Contact me directly about purchasing any paintings.

You can also see high quality Installation views of the exhibition here.

Subscribe to my email list to see close-up Detail Views of my paintings.

To get my painting in your inbox, sign up here.
To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Thanks in advance,

psili amos beach, patmos, greece (the light / the shade) (+ exhibition installation)

psili amos beach, patmos, greece (the light / the shade)
oil on linen on panel, 2017, 5"x6"
AVAILABLE - Contact me at abbeyryan@gmail.com for purchase information

Psili Amos Beach was another one of my favorite beaches on Patmos, Greece. You can view some of my Greek island painting travels here.

the light / the shade exhibition at Arcadia
These are the final two days of my exhibition: abbey ryan: the light / the shade, in the Harrison Gallery at Arcadia University on view from April 16 - June 16. If you enjoy this painting, you can also see other paintings from my the light / the shade series. You can also view installation views of the exhibition in the Photo gallery on the right side of this page.

Subscribe to my email list to see close-up Detail Views of my paintings.

To get my painting in your inbox, sign up here.
To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Thanks in advance,

kohlakoura beach, lipsi, greece (the light / the shade)

kohlakoura beach, lipsi, greece (the light / the shade)
oil on linen on panel, 2017, 5"x4"

Kohklakoura Beach was one of my favorite beaches on one of my favorite islands in Greece. I posted an interesting photo before I started painting this seascape. You can see it here. You can view more of my Greek island adventures here.

the light / the shade exhibition at Arcadia
These are the final days of my current exhibition: read more about abbey ryan: the light / the shade, my exhibition in the Harrison Gallery at Arcadia University on view from April 16 - June 16. If you enjoy this painting, you can also see other paintings from my the light / the shade series.

Subscribe to my email list to see close-up Detail Views of my paintings.
To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Thanks in advance,

meloi beach no. 1, patmos, greece (the light / the shade)

meloi beach no. 1, patmos, greece (the light / the shade)
oil on linen on panel, 2017, 5"x6"

the light / the shade exhibition at Arcadia
If you enjoy this painting, you may like to read more about abbey ryan: the light / the shade, my exhibition in the Harrison Gallery at Arcadia University on view from April 16 - June 16. If you enjoy this painting, you can also see other paintings from my the light / the shade series.

To get my painting in your inbox, sign up here.
To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Thanks in advance,

sunset in kastelli, patmos, greece (the light / the shade)

sunset in kastelli, patmos, greece (the light / the shade)
oil on linen on panel, 2017, 5"x5"

mys                        mys
ti                             ti
cal                          cal

voy                        rev
age                         o
                              lu
a                            tion
round
                              a
its                          round
own
                              the
ax                          sun
is


Excerpt from the light / the shade by Robert Lax, pp 40-41.

the light / the shade exhibition at Arcadia
If you enjoy this painting, you may like to read more about abbey ryan: the light / the shade, my exhibition in the Harrison Gallery at Arcadia University on view from April 16 - June 16. If you enjoy this painting, you can also see other paintings from my the light / the shade series.

You can also see my other paintings of sunsets.

To get my painting in your inbox, sign up here.

livadi geranou beach, patmos, greece (the light / the shade)

livadi geranou beach, patmos, greece (the light / the shade)
oil on linen on panel, 2017, 5"x6"

In the distance (on the right) is Chora, the capital of Patmos. My earlier painting chora reflected in farm door, noon (the light / the shade) shows another distant view of Chora. The land mass across from the beach where I was painting is the islet Agios Giorgios (St. George) named after the small white church there (look to the left). After I painted this under the shade of a Tamarisk tree, I swam across to the beach below the white church.

the light / the shade exhibition at Arcadia
If you enjoy this painting, you may like to read more about abbey ryan: the light / the shade, my exhibition in the Harrison Gallery at Arcadia University on view from April 16 - June 16. You can also see other paintings from my the light / the shade series.

To get my painting in your inbox, sign up here.
To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Thanks in advance,

kohlakoura beach, lipsi, greece (the light / the shade)

kohlakoura beach, lipsi, greece (the light / the shade)
oil on linen on panel, 2017, 4"x6"

Robert Lax's three favorite Greek islands were Kalymnos, Lipsi, and Patmos (where I spent time painting). Lipsi is the smallest of the three, at about 6 square miles, and there's only 1 taxi on the island. It's a 25 minute ferry ride from Patmos and we went there twice while staying on Patmos. On one visit, we met Yanni, a former sponge diver, and a passerby helped translate a conversation. We learned that Yanni actually knew Lax (here's a photo of Yanni). Kohlakoura is a white pebble beach (another photo here). My Greece snapshots are a bit out of order, but those links give a glimpse of it.

In this painting I used a little bit of an interesting Vasari color that's not usually on my palette: Video Blue Extra Pale (click on the name to see a photo of it on Lipsi). It's a vibrant and delicate cool blue -- like an opaque bluish white that's chromatic enough for complementary mixing with warm yellow/orange/earth colors.

the light / the shade exhibition at Arcadia
If you enjoy this painting, you may like to read more about abbey ryan: the light / the shade, my exhibition in the Harrison Gallery at Arcadia University on view from April 16 - June 16.

You can also see other paintings from my the light / the shade series.

Ending tonight at 7:30 PM EST:

Click on the image to view auction

To get my painting in your inbox, sign up here.
To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Thanks in advance,

chora reflected in farm door, noon (the light / the shade) (+ August solo show)

chora reflected in farm door, noon (the light / the shade)
Oil on linen on panel, 6x4 inches, 2017
AVAILABLE - Contact me at abbeyryan@gmail.com for purchase information

Chora is the capital of Patmos, a 13-square-mile Greek island off the Aegean coast of Turkey. Last June, while on Patmos for my fellowship painting research, my studio was on a working farm in Kastelli, not far from the port area of Skala.

April 16-June 16, 2018 the light / the shade exhibition at Arcadia
If you enjoy this painting, you may like to read more about abbey ryan: the light / the shade, my exhibition in the Harrison Gallery at Arcadia University that opens this Monday, April 16. You can also see other paintings from my the light / the shade series. I'll share details about abbey ryan: the light / the shade next week.

Upcoming solo exhibition
In August 2018, I'll be mounting a solo exhibition of new larger paintings at Gleason Fine Art in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. If you are nearby, I will be at the artist reception on Friday evening, August 3. A bit about Gleason Fine Art: "Established in 1985, Gleason Fine Art has become a fixture.... In addition to selling 19th through 20th century art, Gleason Fine Art offers collection consulting, art appraisals, and restoration services. From the beginning, their goal has been to offer the finest work by established painters and sculptors..."

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see a bunch of my paintings about reflections.

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To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Thanks in advance,

Martha's Vineyard Landscape, Menemsha (+ "The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World")

Click to view auction
Oil on linen on panel, 6x7 inches, 2017
Auction ends at 5:30 PM EST on Oct 17

If you're interested in learning about The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World:

"Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was the most famous scientist of his age, a visionary German naturalist and polymath whose discoveries forever changed the way we understand the natural world. Among his most revolutionary ideas was a radical conception of nature as a complex and interconnected global force that does not exist for the use of humankind alone. In North America, Humboldt’s name still graces towns, counties, parks, bays, lakes, mountains, and a river. And yet the man has been all but forgotten.

In this biography, Andrea Wulf brings Humboldt’s extraordinary life back into focus: his prediction of human-induced climate change; his daring expeditions to the highest peaks of South America and to the anthrax-infected steppes of Siberia; his relationships with iconic figures, including Simón Bolívar and Thomas Jefferson; and the lasting influence of his writings on Darwin, Wordsworth, Goethe, Muir, Thoreau, and many others. Brilliantly researched and stunningly written, The Invention of Nature reveals the myriad ways in which Humboldt’s ideas form the foundation of modern environmentalism—and reminds us why they are as prescient and vital as ever." [source]

Auction ending soon at 8 PM EST tonight:


Click to view auction

If you enjoy today's painting, you may also like to see all my Martha's Vineyard paintings.

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To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Best,

Waves in Fog, Martha's Vineyard, 6x8 (+ Winners here)

At the bottom of this painting, there are some (unavoidable) specks of authentic Martha's Vineyard sand caught in the paint. It was windy. On that topic, this is how sand looks magnified up to 300 times. You can see this and other MV paintings on my easel on facebook or instagram (viewable to everyone, even if you're not on those platforms).

Free Print Giveaway
I am delayed in announcing the winners -- there were so many entries to sort out. I picked 13 people instead of 10! You can view the winners here on instagram or here on facebook. If you won, please send me your mailing information at abbeyryan@gmail.com asap. Thank you for participating! I will do this sort of contest again soon, so please add your email to my list and you'll find out about it first.

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see Lucy Vincent Beach, Martha's Vineyard, Foggy Day (at auction) and Aquinnah Cliffs, Martha's Vineyard, 9x12 (available).

To get my painting in your inbox, sign up here.
To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Thanks in advance,

Lucy Vincent Beach, Martha's Vineyard, Foggy Day (+ Not Your Sugar Mamas)

It's taking me a while to pull together all the entries in my free print giveaway contest (thank you!). I'll hopefully post the winners tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for your patience!

When I was painting on Martha's Vineyard, I tasted Not Your Sugar Mamas locally-made superfood chocolate at the little general store in Menemsha. I'm not usually a huge chocolate lover, but I wanted to try it because it contains no refined sugar (which I don't eat) and they use unusual ingredients (here are some 'still life' ingredient photos). I'm not a chocolate expert but I thought it was good. In the spirit of supporting small businesses, you can order it online to try it and read about the creators, Bennett and Ky.

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see Aquinnah Cliffs, Martha's Vineyard, 9x12 (available).

Ending soon -- my 10-year anniversary painting
Still Life with Italian Plum and Silver Creamer (A Meditation on 10 Years)

Click to view auction
5-day auction ends at 7:30PM EST on Thursday, Sept. 28

To get my painting in your inbox, sign up here.
To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Thanks in advance,

Aquinnah Cliffs, Martha's Vineyard, 9x12 (+ Free Print Giveaway)

Aquinnah Cliffs, Martha's Vineyard
Oil on linen on panel, 9x12 inches, 2017
AVAILABLE - Contact me at abbeyryan@gmail.com for purchase information

After my July Cape Cod workshop, I painted on Martha's Vineyard for the first time. I have a few other MV paintings that I will post soon. Also, I'll be posting some of my snapshot photos on instagram/facebook soon, if you're interested.

Win a signed print

Free Print Giveaway
Tomorrow marks 10 years since I began posting small daily paintings on this blog. In honor of you and your interest in my work for a decade, I am giving away 10 free signed giclée prints of my paintings. (I don't currently sell prints of my work, so this is a chance to win one of the high quality prints pictured to the right.)

HERE'S HOW TO WIN:
1. Like/follow one of my social media pages (instagram, facebook, or twitter)
2. Leave a comment that you want to throw your name in the hat (if you're not on social media -- and I admire you if you're not -- send me an email to enter your name).
3. Share my work with one person you think would enjoy it. You can share any social media or my blog or website.

DEADLINE: Saturday, September 23 at 11:59 pm EST

PRIZE WINNERS:
10 prize winners will be picked out of a hat and announced on September 25

Feel free to share this with your friends. Good luck.

Detail view:


If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see a bunch of my paintings of seascapes.

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To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Best,

End of Summer Seascape with Waves (+ "it's ALL TRUE")

I painted this during my birthday weekend last week, and it was beautiful but windy at the beach in New Jersey. I posted a snapshot of this still on my easel on facebook / instagram, if you use those and want to follow along.

Workshop Update
I have three upcoming fall workshops. This is the last week to register for my Sept. 16 workshop in Yardley, PA. Register today -- space is limited to allow for plenty of individual attention. If you're interested, a painter in my Cape Cod workshop wrote:

"Your painting and instruction and inspiration were terrific. There was a growing excitement to see you paint and what you would paint next, and then the rest of the day for us to plod along with our own work, so I felt the time schedule was perfect. And I don't mean to sound like some adoring fanatic (I had read some glowing reviews of your workshops and sort of took them with a grain of salt), but it's ALL TRUE. Thank you so much for your incredible ability to share. You are a great teacher." ~ LM

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

September 16, 2017
Artists of Yardley, Yardley, PA
REGISTER or contact James Bongartz at aoyadult.ed.coord@gmail.com

October 14-15, 2017
John F. Peto Museum, Island Heights, NJ
REGISTER contact Harry Bower at info@petomuseum.org

November 11-12, 2017
Artists of Yardley, Yardley, PA
REGISTER or contact James Bongartz at aoyadult.ed.coord@gmail.com

If you're thinking it over, you can watch my students talk about my Teaching Philosophy, read workshop reviews, or see what a workshop is like.

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see a bunch of my paintings of seascapes.

To get my painting in your inbox, sign up here.
To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Thanks in advance,

Fish Bladder Island, Lake Champlain, VT (+ art and healing)

If you're interested in "art, medicine and disability," this is an interesting article, "Art and Healing: A Conversation with Katherine Sherwood" by Richard Whittaker in 2002:

"Katherine Sherwood has been on the art faculty at the University of California at Berkeley for many years. Hers is a remarkable story. Having first studied art history, Sherwood found her way into a studio practice and became a painter. Her work was being noticed in the Bay Area when she suffered a serious cerebral hemorrhage paralyzing her right side. Impatient with the slowness of rehabilitation therapy, she decided to go back into the studio and try to paint, having to use her left hand. The return to painting turned out to be the most healing therapy she could have imagined. She was soon painting again in earnest and, as many agreed, her work had become better than ever before...."
[Source]

Self-portrait in a Blue Vase and Eight Figs
ending soon at 9 PM EST tonight:

Click to view auction

To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

Best,

Seascape with Buoy (+ "water gives life")

Click to view auction

9. Washing Your Hands
Water flows over these hands.
May I use them skillfully
to preserve our precious planet.

Our beautiful Earth is endangered. We are exhausting her resources and polluting her rivers, lakes, and oceans, destroying the habitats of many species, including our own. We are destroying the forests, the soil, the ozone layer, and the air. Because of our ignorance and fears, our planet may be destroyed as an environment that is hospitable to human life. The Earth stores water, and water gives life. Observe your hands as the water runs over them. Do you have enough clear insight to preserve and protect this beautiful planet, our Mother Earth?

~Present Moment, Wonderful Moment, Thich Nhat Hanh, p. 20.

Ending Soon

Heirloom Tomato
Click to view auction

To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.

All my best,

Sunset on the Lake

To purchase my work, view my Current Auctions and All Available Paintings.