Abbey Ryan

Biography

A recognized leader in the "Painting-A-Day" movement, Ryan’s work has been featured and reviewed in dozens of print and web publications, including Seth Godin's Linchpin, O, The Oprah Magazine, as part of the Women Who Make Beautiful Things section, Boing Boing, Good Day Philadelphia on WTXF, Yale Radio's The Art World Demystified, WYBC, Brainard Carey's Making It In the Art World, New Markets for Artists, and American Art Collector magazine. Ryan was recently recognized as #5 on the list of “49 Creative Geniuses Who Use Blogging to Promote Their Art” by BoostBlogTraffic.com. Ryan’s work is held in over 900 public and private collections all over the world.

Education

In June 2002, Ryan studied oil painting with David A. Leffel at the Art Students League of New York. Ryan went on to receive bachelor's degrees in both painting and scientific illustration at Arcadia University in 2003. Shortly after, she moved to Baltimore to begin studies in medical and biological illustration at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Art as Applied to Medicine. Ryan left the program after one semester in order to pursue a career in painting. In 2004, Ryan moved to New York, and earned a master's degree in painting at Hunter College, City University of New York. She followed her undergraduate and graduate formal training with museum study in the United States and abroad, including Italy, Spain, South Korea, Chile, Brazil, and Cuba.

Work

Abbey Ryan started making daily paintings for her blog, Ryan Studio on September 23, 2007. Her blog has had over three quarters of a million visitors from over one hundred countries. About her work, Ryan writes, "painting has become my meditative time and the best part of my day. Attempting to paint every day speaks to my interest in ritual, practice, classical realist still life and trompe l'oeil painting." Ryan’s work has been described as "exquisitely rendered, showcasing both excellent draftsmanship and painterly qualities. In fact, in nearly all of Ryan's paintings there are subtle details that shouldn’t be overlooked." Ryan is represented by Gleason Fine Art, Boothbay Harbor, ME and Mason Fine Art, Atlanta, GA. Her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States and Europe.

Teaching

Ryan is a sought after painting instructor because of her commitment to contemplative and mindful studio practice, and alla prima painting from life. She teaches studio art at Arcadia University, as well as annual professional painting workshops at the John F. Peto Studio Museum and the Sedona Arts Center. Ryan offers private painting instruction/mentoring online.

Live Painting Demonstrations

Ryan periodically conducts live painting demonstrations, a practice reminiscent of the publicly visible Renaissance workshops that traditionally lined the Ponte Vecchio since at least the 12th century. For approximately two hours, she completes a painting from start to finish in front of a live audience and streamed live online in real time. The recording is then compressed into a short time lapse video. In 2011, Ryan's live demo was broadcast on FOX 29's Good Day Philadelphia. Her live demonstrations are typically donation events with the painting auctioned as a fundraiser for various causes.

Selected Solo/Two-Person Exhibitions

2015 Abbey Ryan: New Work, Gleason Fine Art Gallery, Boothbay Harbor, ME; 2015 Abbey Ryan, New Work, Mason Fine Art, Atlanta, GA; 2013 Abbey Ryan: New Work, Art Essex Gallery, Essex, CT two-person; 2013 New Work, 110 Church Gallery, Old City, Philadelphia, PA two-person; 2013 Distant Shift, Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA two-person; 2010 Fleisher Wind Challenge, Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA; 2009 Pratt MWP (three-person), Arts Institute School of Art Gallery, Utica, NY; 2008 Viewing Distance, Germantown Arts Gallery, Plymouth Meeting, PA; 2007 MFA Thesis, Hunter College/Times Square Gallery, New York, NY; 2007 Emerging Artists (three-person), Benton/Nyce Gallery, Greenport, NY; 2005 Brodsky Gallery, Chauncey Conference Center, Princeton, NJ; 2004 Like Mother, Like Daughter, Full Spectrum Art Gallery, Lakewood, NJ; 2004 Spartaco Gallery, Philadelphia, PA; 2004 Polyptychs, F-Street Gallery, Belmar, NJ.

Selected Group Exhibitions

2014 National Tromp L’oeil Exhibition, John F. Peto Studio Museum, Island Heights, NJ; 2013 North by Northwest, Marginal Utility Gallery, CITYWIDE, Philadelphia, PA; 2013 National Tromp L’oeil Exhibition, John F. Peto Studio Museum, Island Heights, NJ; 2012 Realism, Tree’s Place, Orleans, MA; 2012 On The Persistence of Drawing, Arcadia University Art Gallery, Glenside, PA, Curated by Richard Torchia; 2011 Works on Paper, Nicole Villeneuve Gallery, Chicago, IL, Curated by Jason Chakravaty; 2011 Scale 1:1, Arcadia University Art Gallery, Glenside, PA, Curated by Richard Torchia; 2011 The Artist’s Process, Sedona Arts Center, Sedona, AZ; 2011 Realism, Mason Murer Fine Art, Atlanta, GA; 2011 Come Spring!, Gleason Fine Art, Portland, ME; 2011 Handmade For Japan, Benefit auction for Japan, New York, NY; 2011 Mailin’ It In Again, Art Cube Studios, Plainfield, IL, Curated by Jason Chakravaty; 2011 Art in the Open Philadelphia, The Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia, PA, Curated by Amy Lipton, ecoartspace, New York, NY; Brian H. Peterson, James A. Michener Art Museum, Doylestown, PA; Stuart Shils, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia; Andrew Suggs, Vox Populi, Philadelphia; and Mary Teeling, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia; 2011 Stimuli•Stimulus, 110 Church Gallery, Old City, Philadelphia, PA, Curated by Leo Robinson; 2011 Summer Exhibition, Mason Murer Fine Art, Atlanta, GA; 2010 Mt. Airy Contemporary Artists Space, Philadelphia, PA; 2010 Small Works, Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL; 2010 Eye Catchers, Gleason Fine Art, Portland, ME, Curated by Diana Kerr; 2010 Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education (SEPCHE) Exhibition, Dwight V. Dowley Gallery, Chestnut Hill College, Chestnut Hill, PA; 2010 Plein Air for Camphill, Rosenfeld Gallery, Philadelphia, PA; 2010 Feast the Eyes, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA; 2010 Dear Fleisher, Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, PA; 2010 40 & Under, Elliot Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA; 2010 Faculty Exhibition, Lares Building Gallery, Penn State Abington, Abington, PA; 2009 The Best of Inliquid, @ Matthew Izzo, Philadelphia, PA; 2009 10x10, Ice Box Projects Space, Crane Arts, Philadelphia, PA; 2009 Harvest Festival, Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge, MA; 2009 HEROES, Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, F.U.E.L. House, Philadelphia, PA; 2009 Artist + Object, Arcadia University Art Gallery, Glenside, PA; 2008 Anonyme Zeichner 9, blutenweiss, Berlin, Germany; 2008 InLiquid Benefit v.8.0, Ice Box Projects Space, Crane Arts Building, Philadelphia, PA; 2008 MCAC Juried Show, Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, NJ; 2007 InLiquid Benefit v.7.0, Ice Box Projects Space, Crane Arts Building, Philadelphia, PA; 2007 Art and Craft Concepts, Noyes Museum of Art, Oceanville, NJ; 2007 Anonyme Zeichner 6, blutenweiss, Berlin, Germany; 2007 Southworks 2007, Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation, Watkinsville, GA; 2007 Nancie Mattice Award Exhibition, Dangenart Gallery, Nashville, TN; 2006 Night of 1000 Drawings, Artists Space, New York, NY; 2005 Alumni Association Show, Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ; 2005 Monmouth County Arts Council, Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, NJ; 2004 Group Show, Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, NJ; 2004 Monmouth County Arts Council, Monmouth Museum, Lincroft, NJ; 2004 Art for Life, Studioart100, Carlsbad, CA; 2003 Opening, Shine Society Gallery, New York, NY; 2003 Synthetic Vision, BFA Thesis Exhibition, Arcadia University Art Gallery, Glenside, PA; 2002 REUNION 2002, Arcadia University Art Gallery, Glenside, PA; 2002 Arabidopsis, BA Thesis Exhibition, Arcadia University Art Gallery, Glenside, PA; 2002 Scientific Illustration Exhibition, The Schuylkill Center, Philadelphia, PA.

Catalogues

In 2006, Ryan assisted Hunter College professor of art Gabriele Evertz in curating Presentational Painting III, February 16-April 15, 2006, The Hunter College/Times Square Gallery, 450 West 41st Street, New York, NY 10036. Ryan wrote all texts on exhibition artists, including Don Voisine, Matthew Deleget (co-founder of Minus Space), Hartmut Bohm, Paul Corio, Daniel Crews, Lynne Harlow, Gilbert Hsiao, Changha Hwang, Susanne Jung, Steve Karlik, Rossana Martinez, Charlotte Nicholson, Francisca Reyes, Steven Salzman, Martijn Schuppers, and Mike Stack. 63 pages. Catalogue ISBN 1885998716.

Scientific Illustration

In 2001, Ryan completed a scientific Illustration Internship at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Plant Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA. She did volunteer work and scientific illustration work at Pohnpei Agriculture and Trade School (PATS), Pohnpei, Micronesia and the Marine Science and SCUBA Study at Marine and Environmental Research Institute, Pohnpei, Micronesia. In 2004, Ryan worked as a Botanical Illustrator in collaboration with Dr. Chris Somerville at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Plant Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California.

Professional Memberships

Daily Paintworks (invitational); American Association of Botanical Artists; Guild of Natural Scientific Illustrators.