Paintings for Today Frida à la Klimt, Angel and Horse

It just could be that fall arrived last night. The heat and humidity have been replaced by cloud, a bit of drizzle and cool enough temperatures that I finally closed some windows. And as I made the morning coffee the air was filled with the honking of Canada Geese as they made their way south. Four great V Formations flew over our house...it was so beautiful and so unmistakably Autumn.

True to my pattern, I'm behind in posting the new paintings. I've been working on a number of pieces, more angels, horses and another in my Frida à la Klimt series.




I call it "A Golden Soul". Like the previous pieces, it's textured acrylic with metallic and gold leaf.

The next painting is another in the "Dark Angel" series. This piece is large, 24 x 36 inches, lots of texture and bronze metallic.



And the last one for today is a little angel out for a ride under the stars on her great, grand steed.



As always you can find just about all my work, old and new on my website.

More New Paintings - Angel and Mother and Child

I can't quite believe we're officially in the Autumn season! But we are and here I am on an unbelievably warm day in September building building Christmas inventory.

I put the finishing touches on a couple pieces today. I've been working on them for the last couple of days.




This is another large piece 36 x 24 inches.

The second one is another in my series of dark angels. If you've ever taken a browse through my website, you'll know I've painted a lot of angels. I've used iridescent copper for the background and highlights of this piece. I've called this one "At Your Door".



I've got another Klimt piece almost finished...maybe tomorrow.

No Bling Today!

No à la Klimt paintings to post today, maybe I'll start work on a new one tomorrow. I spent the day finishing two paintings, both familiar themes.



This one is called "Forever Friends".



I've painted many kids on horses...I call this one "A Very Rich Ride".


*All image rights reserved © Wendy Ryan *

Klimt O Mania Continues

Well, the Frida piece is finally finished...I couldn't seem to stop adding more detail, more gold leaf, more shine, but this is it, I'm not going back to it again!








“I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.”"

~ Frida Kahlo~

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: The Person She Knows
Medium: Acrylic, Gold Leaf on Canvas
Size: 24 x 36 in
60 X 90 cm
Date: 2007

And now on to the task of packing up everything for the Old Ottawa South art show tomorrow. It's a beautiful day today...hoping for just one more summer-like day tomorrow!

*All Image Rights Reserved © Wendy Ryan*

Old Ottawa South Arts and Music Festival

Another busy week flying by! I've been watching the weather hoping for sunshine on Saturday for my last outdoor show of 2007! This is my first year at Old Ottawa South Art and Music Festival. I've had a look at the website and WOW! Lots of talent at this one day show. I must remember to take my camera and take some shots to share.

So with the clock ticking, I'll share a new finished piece and one in progress First the work in progress. It's another Frida à la Klimt, 24 x 26 in, lots of texture and gold leaf. I took this shot in the house so the colours are a bit off but you get the idea.



I've got a couple of new pieces up for auction on eBay. After a flurry of excitement last week, it's oddly quiet on, so you just might find a bargain.

This one is called "With All Her Eyes". The large gold leaf halo encircling the angel gives this one a lot of shine!


So, it's back to work for me. It's always a challenge to try to guess what might sell at an arts show. Some shows permit only original work, in other words, no giclee prints. But The Old Ottawa South Ats and Music Festival permits giclees, so I'd better crank up the print and get some art cards ready to go!

*All Image Rights Reserved © Wendy Ryan *

Michael the Angel Painting for the Day

Yikes! Another week gone by so quickly. I've been painting, daily, but have fallen so far behind in posting, it's high time to get some new work up here. I do want to mention again that my new work can be found on my website. I did a bit of quick updating this morning.

So moving on to the work:



Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Michael
Medium: Acrylic, metallics on Wooden Block
Size: 5 X 7 x .75 in
13 X 18 x 2 cm
Date: 2007

I've painted so many angels, and from time to time, I'm asked to interpret a male angel. I've listed this one for auction on eBay.

The next two pieces are large canvases. I just finished them yesterday. The first one is called "Midnight Ride", another in my child and horse series. It's a large piece 36 x 18 inches. It was a bit too cloudy when I took this shot...so the jpeg seems a bit darker than the actual painting.




The next one is called "Contemplative Calm", also a large piece, 24 x 36 inches and lots of texture.



Well, it's back to the easel for me. I have my last outdoor show of the season next Saturday, Old Ottawa South Art and Music Festival and have lots of work left to do.

Dinner, Movie, Paris and Paints!

I guess I missed a couple of days over the weekend...what a lovely weekend it's been too! We saw a great little movie Two Days in Paris. We had just had this yummy early dinner with two young friends, a kind of combination, house warming, they've just moved into a new apartment and a belated birthday for me. The movie was just the right touch!

And of course, I forgot to post my new work. I've been working on some large metallic Klimt inspired pieces...but they're not quite ready, but this is a little sort of Folk meet Art Deco à la Klimt again.



“Discretion is being able to raise your eyebrow instead of your voice.”

~ Anonymous

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: A Little Discretion
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 8 X 10 in
20 X 26 cm
Date: 2007


It's hard to see it on-line, but the background is a rich gold and deep bronze sort of metallic. I took another risk and have it at auction on eBay with an opening bid of $9.99. Right at this moment there seems to be a little glitch with the image showing up in the search results so I'm on to my next adventure...repairing my listing. It's usually a quick fix, and then it's on to my paints.


*All image rights reserved © Wendy Ryan *

More Klimt Art Deco Painting Madness!

I guess it's time I admit - I am a "Klimtomaniac". I don't expect to recover anytime soon.


“Everything changes,everything moves, everything revolves - everthing flies and goes away."

~ ~ Frida Kahlo~

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Everything Moves
Medium: Acrylic, Gold Leaf on Canvas
Size: 24 x 36 in
60 X 90 cm
Date: 2007

I'm a bit bleary eyed from this one, so am cleaning my brushes and turning off the computer. Happy Friday to all!

Blond Girl Red Bird Painting For Today

My collectors have often reminded me that I just don't paint blond girls often enough! So I thought I'd remedy that with a blue eyed blonde with her little red birdie friends.


" The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship."

~ William Blake

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Musings Under The Stars
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 5 X 7 x in
13 X 18 cm
Date: 2007

I've listed this painting for auction on eBay. I decided to start this one at a low opening bid of $9.99 without any reserve...hmmnnn...kinda risky I guess, but what the heck!

Painting Inspired by Klimt and Francesco Laurana

"Sculpture is more than painting. It is greater To raise the dead to life than to create Phantoms that seem to live."

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I recently discovered the work of Francesco Laurana while thumbing through a book on Gustave Klimt. I fell in love with the work of this early Renaissance sculptor. There is a quiet serenity to his female figures that must have also appealed to Klimt. This piece is inspired by both Klimt and Laurana. The palette is predominantly green with gold, bronze and silver metallic art deco background. I've posted this piece for sale in my Yessy Gallery.

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: After Laurana
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 10 X 30 in
26 X 76 cm
Date: 2007

*All Image Rights Reserved © Wendy Ryan

Painting for Today - Folk Angel Under The Stars

This entry is going to be very short, I printed and painted all day and I'm tired! So without much talk I'll post a little painting I finished today. I'll be at auction on eBay this evening.




" Judge of your natural character by what you do in your dreams."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: While In Your Dreams
Medium: Acrylic on Wooden Block
Size: 5 X 7 x .75 in
13 X 18 x 2 cm
Date: 2007

And now it's off to walk the dog!

*All Image Rights Reserved © Wendy Ryan*

Art Deco Art Nouveau Paintings, Paintings!

I've kept my Ebay store open during these busy summer months, but it's been so long since I put a painting up for auction. I miss the excitement of watching for bids, having people stumble upon my work for the first tiem...so today is the day! I've been working on a number of Klimt inspired paintings and I've scheduled this Frida piece to start tonight. With any luck, I'll get back in the groove of listing something new for auction every night.



" It is you whom I love today..."

~ Frida Kahlo

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: It Is You Today
Medium: Acrylic on Wooden Block
Size: 5 X 7 x .75 in
13 X 18 x 2 cm
Date: 2007


*All Image Rights Reserved © Wendy Ryan *

Late Summer Got You Feeling Blue?

With the shorter days and cooler nights of late August, I'm thinking about the summer that seemed to slip so quickly away from me...Preparation for the trade shows gobbled up so much of my precious summer. I'd have to think long and hard before I schedule another one. I'm determined next summer will be filled with music and arts festivals. If I have a summer of 2007 regret it's missing that most wonderful weekend of all, Hillside Festival, in Guelph Ontario. Just visit the website and I know you'll be trying to find a way to make it to Hillside 2008!

But for now, I'm happily back to my studio, dog on the floor and kitty in the windowsill. It's a cloudy day and the breeze so moist, I can't decide if it's hot and humid or cool and damp. Paint is drying slowly, but sometimes that's a good thing.



I finished this little piece earlier this week. I've used a lot of texture and added a clay wooden cross to the background. I've put a few more new pieces up on my website, so hope you'll have a chance to take a look.

August Already?

The Buyers Market show is now history and I'm back in my little studio painting and printing and wondering where did the summer go? Already August, the days noticeably shorter and cicadas doing their daily serenade. We're off tomorrow to set up for one last trade show,By Hand in Toronto. I think the best part of these trade shows is getting out there and meeting other artists...I learn so much from my colleagues, both in terms of creativity and the business of art.

I call this one "3 Argyle Avenue". It's been on my easel for weeks and I finally finished it this afternoon.

Praying Angel Cross Icon - My Painting For Today

I've been working on a series of large angel and Madonna icons for the Buyers Market of American Craft show next week.

This is a contemplative angel, rather peaceful, her hands raised in prayer. My hubby cuts the crosses in 3/4 inch plywood. I gesso them and apply the Celtic braid in texture medium; sort of like decorating a cake. I let it dry over night then carry on with the painting. Once I'm satisfied I seal it then add the sparkling little crystals.




“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

~ St. Thomas Aquinas

Title: Enduring Faith
Size: 14 x 24 in
60 x 36 cm


*All Image Rights Reserved © Wendy Ryan *

More Paintings. Surreal Cats Angels and Horses

Well, the new printer is installed and somehow this weekend I'm going to have to learn to use it! But in the meantime I'm painting, which is of course a lot more fun than printing!

I think I'm just about caught up posting my new work to my website. Here are a couple pieces that I finished this week.

. This one is a bit on the surreal side. It's called "It Was Cloudy".



When I was a girl I had an Appaloosa pony. Like so many farm stories, there was an unhappy ending to our Appaloosa story. But all is well for this little angel speeding across the snow on her grand spotted steed. This one is called "Dreaming Free".

Clogged Printer and Another Madonna Painting

With only two weeks left until we pack up for the Buyers Market of American Craft show in Philadelphia, the last thing I needed this weekend was a clogged printer! I realize there's never a good time for technical difficulties but Sunday evening has got to be just about the worst. My good old Epson 2200 has produced countless prints for me over the past two years without so much as a burp. Tomorrow will tell if it's time for yet another investment....

But in the meantime, I have finished some more new work. This one is called "Intention So Pure".

Saint Rose of Lima Icon Painting for Yesterday

With that large commission piece finished, it was time yesterday to move on to another commission. Out of the blue on the weekend, I had received a phone call from a collector in New Orleans. During the course of our conversation she mentioned that she is just now, finally returning to her home after almost two years. Her grace and dignity in the face of that disaster and the challenges that followed made this little commission a particular delight.

So here is her Saint Rose of Lima.



Although she was only 31 at her death in 1617, she was known as "Mother of the Poor".

Sunflower Sunday Family Painting Commission

I realized today that I have so many new paintings completed during the last few weeks and I haven't taken the time to post them. So tonight I'm making a start by posting the painting I finished today.

It's always the best feeling when I finish a commission, send the image off to the client and they're happy... beyond happy, over the moon, delighted beyond words is my preference of course! And today was one of those happy days. From the start it was my favourite kind of commission. Lovely clients who made it clear what they like but put great trust in me and encouraged me to paint. It's a sort of portrait that portrays where this family is in their lives, who they are to each other. The figures are intended to "represent" the family members rather than "be" them. And they love Sunflowers!

So Long Since I Blogged

Almost a whole month since I last posted an entry. I'm realizing that committing to a blog takes more time, discipline and creativity than I seem to have. I'm still a daily painter...just not a daily blogger I guess.
But I'm back today with a painting I finished yesterday.



So far this one is just called "That Cat Today."