Today A Flower Child Folk Painting

Something To Someone

“My wish isn't to mean everything to everyone but something to someone.”

Unknown


Small Format Art

Size: 4 X 6 inches

Acrylic on wooden block


I'm still working on the large canvas I mentioned yesterday and the day
before...and once again I say...sigh, maybe tomorrow.
But painting this little flower child was the perfect diversion when I needed
a rest from the deep reds and golds I'm using in the Celtic Cross.

To bid on this little Madonna, and see my other work, check out my eBay Store!

Madonna in Silver and Blue à la Klimt

About Compassion

"Compassion is the basis of morality."

Arnold Schopenhauer


Small Format Art

Size: 5 X 5 inches

Acrylic, Metallics and Liquid Silver Leaf

Gallery stretched canvas


This silvery Madonna is another in my series of Klimt inspired paintings.
I've continued the painting around the staple free sides.
I'm still working on the large canvas I mentioned yesterday...sigh, maybe tomorrow.

To bid on this little Madonna, and see my other work, check out my eBay Store!

An Angel Painting for Today

The Hero's Heart

“Not the glittering weapon fights the fight, but rather the hero's heart.”
-Proverb

Size: 9 X 6.5 inch
Acrylic on Wooden Cross

The sides are painted black and your special ornament comes ready to hang.

I guess it comes as no surprise that I love to paint angels.
I'm working on a large commission right now, 30 X 40 inch canvas of an
angel positioned before a Celtic cross. I had hoped to finish it today, but
even with the extra hour, I still didn't finish it!

To bid on this little angel, and see my other work, check out my eBay Store!

Small Painting For Today - Sisters

What You Are

“Be careful what you pretend to be because you are what you pretend to be.”

-Kurt Vonnegut

Small Format Painting

Size: 4 X 4 inch

Acrylic on Wooden Block

The sides are painted black so there is no need to frame.

This little study of three sisters is available for auction on eBay.

Another Painting for Today à la Klimt

Between Two Hemispheres

" Everywhere the human soul stands between a hemisphere of light and

another of darkness on the confines of two everlasting hostile empires, -

Necessity and Free Will. "

~Thomas Carlyle, Essays, "The Opera"

Acrylic, Metallics, Liquid Gold and Silver Leaf

Size: 16 X 20 inch

40 X 50 cm

I had started this painting yesterday morning, hoping that it would be my "painting of the day, but I wasn't able to finish it until late this afternoon.

And to my delight, when I got home from the movies tonight, it had a super offer on it on eBay! I have the most wonderful people collect my work!

Yesterday's Painting Today - Again!

Better To Illuminate

"Better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate."

Saint Thomas Aquinas

Well, last night I said goodbye to my old computer. I'm still getting accustomed to this brand new machine, with it's tiny keyboard, but I am thrilled with the speed! So here is actually yesterday's painting today - again. These little nuns will be available by auction on eBay if all goes well this evening.

And off I go to work on a commission and another in my à la Klimt series.

Yesterday's Painting Today

What Gives Worth

“It is love alone that gives worth to all things”

~ St. Teresa of Avila

Small Format Art

Size: 5 x 7 x inch

Canvas board.

Where was I yesterday? Are my claims of “daily painter” forever suspect? Well, yesterday was a great day at the easel, but not at the computer. By the time I went to bed last night I had spent 65 minutes listing exactly one painting on eBay! For reasons unknown to me, I could not log into my blog. But the happy news for me is the brand new computer now sitting right here waiting for my ever loyal husband to connect for me, hopefully tonight!
So it is yesterday’s painting today.

Glitter, Klimt, Fortunes and Frida

Of Fortunes and Glitter

"Fortune is like glass - the brighter the glitter, the more easily broken."

~ Publilius Syrus

My painting for today is a small one, 5 X 5 inches on gallery stretched canvas. I’m still in my Klimt stage, still loving the liquid gold and silver leaf…except when I spill it, which I just did. It’s time to call it a day.

An Angel Painting For Today

"Hope is a waking dream."

~ Aristotle

After two trips to the post office I have no time or creative energy to wax poetic on my blog. So the best thing I can do is post today’s painting and have a cup of tea and get to bed.

A Birthday, A Painting Sassy and Sultry

Sassy Haunts Me

For some reason known only to the Computer gods, I could not get into my blog yesterday. I was totally frustrated with the whole thing.

So finally, my ramblings intended for yesterday’s post:

“That word sassy - it haunts me. I keep getting the sassy thing.”
Wanda Sykes

Today was a good day at the easel, I worked on a commission piece, a reworking of a painting that I had done earlier in the year. The client described the faces as “sassy”. I love that word…my Mom calls humid days “sultry”, another great word.

I’ve been thinking about my Mom all day today. It’s her birthday; she’s 81 years old today. She’s always said that we don’t need to do anything special on her birthday; she says that she gets her presents every day of the year. We have so many lessons to learn from the generations that precede us.

Blue Green and Liquid Silver Leaf

“Blue color is everlastingly appointed by the Deity to be a source of delight”

~ John Ruskin

Well, at long last, I've finished the latest in my
à la Klimt series. I'm totally hooked on metallics and liquid gold and silver leaf right now. In many cases I prefer it to actual gold leaf. But later today I hope to experiment a bit with gold leaf flakes on a small piece that if all goes well, I'll list later today on eBay.

* All image rights reserved copyright © Wendy Ryan*

Frida Mini Painting à la Klimt

“Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot.
In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.”

~ Oscar Wilde

Here I am again at 9 pm scrambling to finish off the day’s work. It doesn’t help that this poor old computer is as slow as molasses and seems to get slower as the day goes on!

But the happy news is the à la Klimt piece is finished!! But it was too wet and dismal to get a good shot of it late this afternoon. Sigh…another thing on my yet to accomplish list. Along with a new camera, I need to set up an indoor space for shooting these larger pieces.

In the meantime, my slick little scanner does a great job on the small format art, so I’ve posted a pic of my latest mini painting. I worked away at it this afternoon while I was waiting for paint to dry on the larger canvas.

* All image rights reserved copyright © Wendy Ryan*

Black Madonna Painting Finally Finished!

“Life without idealism is empty indeed. We just hope or starve to death.”

~ Pearl S. Buck

Finally, this afternoon I finished the black Madonna painting. It’s already late and I’m going to turn this old computer off for the night!

Computer Gremlins Rain and Roses

"With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures
and some books, I live without envy."
- Lope de Vega

Yep, you’re right, this is not the à la Klimt painting or the black Madonna I keep promising myself that I’ll finish. This morning was spent at the computer banging away trying to send one measly tiff to my printer. After much too long, I finally gave up, burned a CD and headed out to the mail it with Jenna on the leash in the pouring rain. By the time I reached the post office, I was soaked; rain was dripping from my hair and most attractively off the tip of my nose I might add. But the CD has been sent and I will soon have another batch of prints.

But by the time I got home, changed into dry clothes and defrosted, I just didn’t have the heart to return to either painting. I needed a sunny uncomplicated subject and here it is “Without Envy”

* All image rights reserved copyright © Wendy Ryan*

Learn To Fly

I’m still not finished the two paintings I started earlier this week! The morning was spent with the usual packaging and shipping as well as figuring out which paintings to have reproduced as art plaques. Once I figure out a bit more html, I’ll add a link to the fabulous company in Montreal that is doing my lamination work. Another thing on my list of things to do tomorrow!

But there was some time in the afternoon for painting so I did another little pair of Christmas ornaments. I found this anonymous quote to accompany them "If we ever wish to know angels for what they truly are...perhaps it is we who must first learn to fly."

* All image rights reserved copyright © Wendy Ryan*

Organic Chicken and Apple Pie

I had myself convinced when I woke up this morning that I would finish both of the paintings I have started. But here it is, almost time for the couch and I'm still working on them! I tried to post a picture of the larger canvas but the computer gremlins have outsmated me tonight! I'll post it tomorrow I guess.

The day was filled with business and marketing questions and I hope a few plans. Since I have an excellent desktop printer and have found a truly wonderful woman in Montreal who prints and laminates, it seems like it’s time to try my wares to a gift show or two. So while I roasted an organic chicken and baked my first ever apple pie in absolutely years, my trusty husband did the research and the emails. The pie was great and I think we are hatching a plan for next year!

Black Madonna and à la Klimt in Progess

Black Madonna and à la Klimt in Progress

Once again I’ve overlooked the simple fact that there just are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything I want to! I've spent too many hours wrestling with this tired old computer and not enough hours at the paints.

I’ve got two new paintings on the go, neither of which will likely be finished today. But I’ll share my work in progress. The first one is a favourite subject of mine that I’ve returned to many times, the black Madonna. I’ve just begun to outline the flow of the body and figure out the skin tones. The second, much larger painting is another Klimt inspired Art Deco, Art Nouveau piece in blues and greens. I’ll be adding liquid gold and silver leaf and acrylic metallics as it moves forward. And with any luck, I’ll be posting both finished pieces before the weekend is over.

Snow In October!!! Oh Say It Ain't So!!

Like the rest of North America I woke up today with the news that Fort Erie Ontario and Buffalo NY had been absolutely pummelled by an early snowstorm! I thought this was supposed to be one of those gentle winters…

Another reason why I am happy to be creating art in my home rather than trudging off to a bureaucratic world I never really understood.

Today’s little offering is a painting I actually worked on earlier in the summer. It’s a mini painting on a 4 X 5 inch wooden block. I call it Beyond Zebra.

“So you see! There's no end to the things you might know,
Depending how far beyond Zebra you go”

Dr Seuss

* All image rights reserved copyright © Wendy Ryan*

Time For Bed and Just Starting To Write!

“ No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face.”

~John Donne

It’s been an incredibly long day of painting and a fair bit of head scratching! My ever suffering husband has spent hours in my messy office printing greeting cards for my first ever wholesale order. More on this tomorrow, hopefully I can get an earlier start than tonight! I’ve been at my easel most of the day; putting the last touches on an early Klimt inspired Frida Kahlo and a new piece again à la Gustave. No pics of that one yet, but I’ll try to remember to snap a shot before I begin tomorrow. But for now, it’s time to head for bed!!

Oh yeah, I've called this painting "An Autumnal Face" and it's listed for auction on eBay.

* all image rights reserved Wendy Ryan*

Little Black Angel in Primitive Naive Style

Wrapped in Kindness

After all the hours spent doing fine detail in liquid gold leaf on the Klimt inspired pieces it seemed like a good time to return to something a little more folky, a little more primitive. This little angel is surrouned by stars and wrapped in her own wings.

This painting is currently available for auction on eBay.


* All image rights reserved copyright © Wendy Ryan*

Thanksgiving In The Country

Thanksgiving weekend at home with family, what could be sweeter than that...Nothing, unless you're staying in the country and something goes amiss with the septic system. It could have been worse, I suppose…apparently what backed up and into the basement bathroom was not actually the nasty stuff in the septic tank…it was “gray water”, which will mean something to those of you on septic systems. What I can tell you is, it still smells, took hours to clean up and much head scratching over the cause of and remedy for the problem. Ah…life in the country.

But I’m home again now and hopefully back to regular painting and posting. In keeping with my own little Thanksgiving theme the picture above a collection of my mini paintings that is proudly hung…you guessed it, in a bathroom!

*all image rights reserved Wendy Ryan*

Yesterday's Painting Today!

The End of Astonishment

I actually finished this little painting yesterday afternoon, knowing that today was going to be spent at the computer, doing laundry and packing for a weekend away. Ah, the life of a domestic goddess can be decidedly unglamorous!

One of A Kind Ornament Collection

My Pointy Hat

Another morning spent mostly on the business of art! But happily I’ve finished this funky little ornament. A wonderful collector who has the most amazing Christmas tree ever commissioned it! Her tree is absolutely festooned with original ornaments completed in every material you can imagine! She has collected delightful one of a kind pieces from many of my favourite eBay artists. She was kind enough to send me a photo last year, but I couldn’t quite lay my fingers on it this morning. So maybe if she reads this she’ll send me a jpeg to post for you.

Madonna and A Mop

Another busy day today, too much of it spent at the computer, packaging and shipping, followed by those very ungodess-like domestic chores that involve a mop, cleaning products and elbow grease!

But there was time to get a shot of the latest Madonna painting. It's so difficult to get a sense of the gold background in a jpeg. I first applied a texture with a repeating pattern of fleur de lis in her halo and around the outside of the piece. I used the texture paint again to create the diagonal diamond design for the rest of the background. When this was dry I covered the whole background with liquid leaf. I experimented with different shades of gold, but finally decided that staying with one shade was most effective.

And now it's off to walk the dog!

* All image rights reserved copyright © Wendy Ryan*

An Artist's Little Honour

I suffer from a near debilitaing inability to "blow my own horn". We were raised to be mindful of all that "pride cometh before a fall" kind of thing. But this morning I just have to break with tradition. As you may know, I list my work on a number of on-line galleries in addition to my own website. And as result of the work I've presented and sold on Boundless Gallery this modest little artist has been named "Artist of The Month"!

I'll be posting my finally finished Madonna painting later today.

The painting above Strangeness And Beauty is one of the pieces that I had listed on Boundless Gallery.

Gold Madonna in Progess

This is where I picked up work on the Madonna painting this morning. I had expected to finish it last night, but it was slow going. I put the last touches of liquid leaf tonight and will post a picture tomorrow. It may be tricky to get a good shot with my little camera, but hopefully the weather will co-operate and I'll be able to use that wonderful outdoor light.

Can it Really Be October? Madonna In Progress

I can't be the only person who woke up this morning and wondered how the heck it got to be October already? It must be true that time races as we grow older.

Here it is, already 11 am and I haven’t returned to the Madonna painting. I’ve been in the kitchen this morning putting together an early Thanksgiving dinner, turkey, dressing and all the usual trimmings on the menu tonight!

But I do hope to post further progress on my painting before I hit the couch tonight!

And as a lovely little postscript, Live To the Point Of Tears is sold and going to a treasured collector. Hmm…which of course means another Monday morning of packaging and shipping…ah well, it is a necessary evil.