Judy Ryan
My passion for art was instilled in me at a young age. My father was an accomplished artist in his own right and was eager to pass on his skills to any of his children that showed an interest in art. What he taught me and two of my sisters, who are both accomplished artists, we still practice to this day. The importance of drawing skills, strong design principles, values, and color. As a longtime resident of Snohomish County, growing up in Alderwood Manor on ten acres with horses, cows, chickens, pigs, goats, cats, dogs, and even a pig tailed macaque monkey gave us a lot of subjects to sketch and paint. My father has since passed away, but his love of art and striving to always keep learning lives through me today. “Art is and will always be a discovery. Once we think we know it all, we really know nothing.”
I currently reside in Mountlake Terrace with my husband, Rick and two active cattle dogs, Milo and Cooper. Those fun and active dogs inspired me to paint a series of dog portraits, and it’s been touching to see how people respond to a painting of their dog or even one of the rescue dogs I’ve painted. I enjoy painting animals and people and try to capture their personality in my artwork. My mixed media pieces have given me a chance to combine my love of history and portraiture, allowing me to tell the story behind the person or animal in the work.
Recently, I’ve been working on 5” x 5” miniatures and small works using acrylics, papers, and oils. I love the challenge of painting that small and creating art pieces that are colorful, fun, and interesting. I enjoy incorporating the different papers I find into my pieces to enhance the painted image. My goal is to have fun, create, be different, and to make you smile.
The greatest compliment an artist can receive is knowing that you have truly touched the viewer by capturing the essence of the subject you’ve painted.
Some of my favorite artists include Sergei Bongart, Nicolai Fechin, Del Gish, and Clyde Aspevig.
Time to walk the dogs!
