The Pool Of Blue - Original Madonna Icon in Frame with Swarovski Crystals by Wendy Ryan

Finally, I have time to post my new work! We've had the house upside down for the week while we have new windows installed. I was able to paint, but with my office turned upside down and the computers unplugged it was mayhem! But with three days of destruction and construction behind us, we're on the home stretch now. Hubby set up office again last night, so I've stolen a few minutes to post a new piece. I've called this icon "The Pool of Blue" from a poem by Sara Teasdale.


"I am the pool of blue
That worships the vivid sky;
My hopes were heaven-high,
They are all fulfilled in you."

~ Sara Teasdale

Using mixed media technique, I've created an original folk Madonna Icon. She glows in her deep blue robe, encircled by her halo of red roses. Starting with a plain wooden frame, I’ve created the look of burnished copper, embellished with textured Celtic braids and clay Rustic crosses. The original icon sparkles with real Swarovski crystals.


Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: The Pool of Blue
Medium: Mixed Media
Size: 6.5 X 8.5"
17 X 22 cm
Date: 2007

Any of my pieces can be purchased directly from me. So if you see something that you like just drop me a note! I'm busy building inventory for my "Bricks and Mortar" wholesale customers and upcoming shows so I'm never far from my paints...even in this crazy construction zone!

Universal Passage - A Painting For Yesterday

"Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives."

~ A. Sachs

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Universal Passage
Medium: Mixed
Size: 6.5 x .8.5 in
16 X 21 cm
Date: 2007

I actually finished this painting yesterday, but fatigue hit before I could post it here last night.

This piece is Frida "Retablo Style". I've created a Mexican inspired Retablo style frame for this homage to Frida and the Day of the Dead using texture medium and small clay skulls overlaid with metallic tarnished faux bronze. The rustic cross is embellished with a sparkling Swarovski Crystal. Your painting arrives ready to hang.

Painting For Today: Romantic Folk Girl Roses Moon

“See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls.”

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Move In Silence
Medium: Acrylic on Wood
Size: 8 X 10 x 3/4 in
20 X 26 x 2 cm
Date: 2007

If you've ever been in a garden late at night, you'll remember the magic in the moonlight on the roses...a simple moment transformed into a mystical experience, if you let the magic touch you...


And thanks so much for dropping by!

Long Over Due Painting For Today - Sharing A Whisper

Sharing A Whisper




Title: Sharing A Whisper
Medium: Acrylic on Wooden Block
Size: Size: 5 X 7 x 3/4 in
13 x 18 x 2 cm
Date: 2007


Where have I been? Gosh, I hope someone out there is wondering! The last few weeks have rushed by me, as usual, never enough time or energy to accomplish everything that I want or intend to do. There can't be many tasks less attractive to an artist than shipping...but I've got one ahead of me this weekend...TAXES!!! Yep, the deadline approaches and it's time to actually admit that last year was a challenging one. Hmm...let's just see, new computer, camera and oh yeah, can't forget we got a roof the week before Christmas too! So far I've surveyed my piles of receipts and concluded it costs a heck of a lot to make a little bit of money!


By the way, this little painting is part of a small collection that's soon on it's way to:

Little Cricket Gift Gallery
Maple Ridge
(604) 476-1234

I don't think the gallery has a website, but if you're in Maple Ridge BC, drop in to see some wonderful original art.

Mary, The Madonna, Art Deco Painting for Today

Queen of Mercy And Love

"The worship of Mary transformed Catholicism from a religion of terror - perhaps necessary in the Dark Ages--into a religion of mercy and love."

~ Will Durant

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Queen of Mercy And Love
Medium: Acrylic, Gold Leaf on Canvas
Size: Size: 12 X 36 in
30 X 91 cm
Date: 2007

I remain fascinated by the devotion followers and artists to Mary, the Madonna. And of course, I am still drawn to the art of Gustave Klimt. I've used gleaming metallics, liquid gold leaf and touches of real gold leaf imported from Thailand for this large dramatic painting. I've continued with metallic gold around the staple free sides, so there is no need to frame. Your painting arrives ready to hang.
If you would like any additional information regarding this painting please feel free to email me with any questions.

And if you find more than one piece that you like, I'm always happy to combine shipping costs.

Thank you so much for stopping by

Painting A Day Frida Kahlo in Traditional Head Dress

To live in hearts we leave behind Is not to die."

~ Thomas Campbell

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Live In Hearts
Medium: Acrylic on Wooden Block
Size: 4.5 X 6 x .75 in
11 X 15 x 2 cm
Date: 2007

This painting is another in my on going series of Frida Kahlo studies. I've painted Frida in traditional Mexican colours and head dress.

The sides are painted black, it is signed and dated, your painting arrives ready to hang. If you would like any additional information regarding this painting please feel free to email me with any questions.

Thanks for stopping by !
*All Image Rights Reserved*

The Madonna Folk Icon Painting For Today

“To be at one with God is to be at peace ... peace is to be found only within, and unless one finds it there he will never find it at all. Peace lies not in the external world. It lies within one's own soul.”

~ Ralph Waldo Trine

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Found Within
Medium: Acrylic and Metallics on Wooden Ply Cross
Size: 8 X 11
20 X 28 cm
Date: 2007

I've painted this 8 x 11 inch wooden cross in acrylics and burnished gold metallics. I've used plenty of texture to create the Celtic braid that surrounds the Madonna. She sends the message of peace as she holds two doves in her outstretched arms. Her rich red and black robes are embellished with a tiny sparkling Swarovski crystal. It has been signed, dated and sealed. Your icon arrives ready to hang.

If you would like any additional information regarding this painting please feel free to email me with any questions.

Finally! A New Painting - Girl and Black Cat

Well, it's been too long since I've found the time to open my blog. After a few days away visiting family, I'm home and back to work in earnest.

I worked on a couple of paintings today, but finished this commission so thought I'd post it tonight. I had done this painting with a black haired girl earlier, but this collector wanted a pretty blonde haired girl to hold the big black cat.





"Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet." ~Colette

Acrylic on Wooden Block
Size: 5 x 7 in

Irish Maiden Painting For Today

"On she went, and her maiden smile
In safety lighted her round the Green Isle;
And blest forever was she who relied Upon
Erin's honor and Erin's pride."

~ ?Thomas Moore

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Her Maiden Smile
Medium: Acrylic on Wooden Block
Size: 5 X 7 x .75 in
12 X 18 x 2 cm
Date: 2007

With St Patrick's Day around the corner, it seemed like high time to paint an Irish maiden. This winsome beauty has grey green eyes and long red hair.
The sides are painted black, it is signed and dated, your painting arrives ready to hang. If you would like any additional information regarding this painting please feel free to email me with any questions.

Two New Paintings about Peace, Life and Death

I've been busy the last few days, and there just didn't seem time to post. So today, I've logged in early! Even though I'm no longer posting work on the Daily Painters site, I remain a "compulsive painter"! so the new work continues. I'm working on a couple of Klimt influenced pieces and with any luck may have them finished tonight. but in the meantime, here's a hint of what I was up to on the weekend.



"Peace has to be created, in order to be maintained. It is the product of Faith, Strength, Energy, Will, Sympathy, Justice, Imagination, and the triumph of principle. It will never be achieved by passivity and quietism."

~ Dorothy Thompson

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

In this little painting, a beautiful black haired maiden raises her hands in prayer while two peace doves seem to whisper the blessings of peace from her shoulders.




“ God pours life into death and death into life without a drop being spilled. ”

~Author Unknown

I'm calling this a mixed media piece. I've added a small clay cross inlaid with a tiny Swarovski crystal and heavy texture medium to the wooden block. The sweet faced sister contemplates life and death while she tenderly cradles a human skull.


Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Without A Drop
Medium: Acrylic, Clay and Texture Medium on Wooden Block
Size: 5 X 7 x .75 in
13 X 18 x 2 cm
Date: 2007


The sides are painted black, it is signed and dated, your painting arrives ready to hang.

So now I'm off to fill some print orders and get back to my paints...If you'd like any additional information about any of my paintings please drop me a note.

Dark Angel Icon Painting For Today

"To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle. Every cubic inch of space is a miracle."

~ Walt Whitman

Title: Miracle of Dark And Light

Acrylic Gold Leaf
Size: 5 x 7 x .75 in
13 x 18 x 2cm

I've painted this romantic dark angel on a 3/4 inch thick wooden plaque. I've used a dramatic palette of ochre, alizarin crimson and deep green for her robes and wings. I've finished the beveled edge in rich gold leaf lending a beautiful Baroque feel to this unique piece. If you would like any additional information regarding this icon please feel free to email me with any questions.

Crystal and Gold Angel Icon Painting For Today

“The seeds of the future – let them be planted with hope….let there be a new beginning.”

~ Trish McDermott


Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: With Hope
Medium: Acrylic and Gold Leaf on Wooden Cross
Size: 6.5 X 8
17 X 20 cm
Date: 2007

It may be difficult to see on your screen but I've used real gold leaf and three sparkling Swarovski crystals on this 6.5 x 8 in wooden cross. The little angel has raised her hands in prayer. It has been signed, dated and sealed. Your icon arrives ready to hang.

If you have any questions about my art please drop me a note! And thanks for stopping by!

Painting A Day Frida Retablo in Gold Frame

From Time To Eternity




“For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.”

~ William Penn

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: From Time To Eternity
Medium: Acrylic on Masonite in Wooden Frame
Size: 6.5 x .8.5 in
16 X 21 cm
Date: 2007

This piece is Frida "Retablo Style". Using texture medium and clay smiling suns overlaid with gold leaf, I've created a Retablo style frame for this homage to Frida and the Day of the Dead. Your painting arrives ready to hang.
If you would like any additional information regarding this painting please feel free to email me with any questions.

Two Paintings For Today! Frida and Angel Icon

I have two paintings to share today. The first one is another in my on-going series of Frida Kahlo studies. Frida is seated in a green dress before rich scarlet draperies weighing an apple in each hand.




“We cannot tempt fate without eventually getting scorched by it”

~ ~ Ana Veciana-Suarez

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Weighing the Temptation
Medium: Acrylic on Wooden Block
Size: 5 X 7 x .75 in
11 X 15 x 2 cm
Date: 2007



My second painting is a large Angel Icon painted in acrylics and liquid gold leaf on a deeply textured wooden cross. At the top of the cross I've placed a smaller clay cross embellished with a sparkling Swarovski Rhinestone. Although it may be difficult to see on your screen, the angel is painted against a deeply glowing liquid gold leaf background. It is truly a dramatic and unique piece of spiritual wall art.





"The discipline of daily devotion to God undergirds decisions."

~ Edwin Louis Cole

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: A Daily Devotion
Medium: Mixed Media
Size: 12 X 20 x .75 in
30 X 50 x 2 cm
Date: 2007

Another Frida Kahlo Painting Today!

" How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."

~ Annie Dillard

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: A Day Spent
Medium: Acrylic on Wooden Block
Size: 4.5 X 6 x .75 in
11 X 15 x 2 cm
Date: 2007

This painting is another in my on-going series of Frida Kahlo studies. Frida emerges from a warm orange background framed in a bright turquoise arch.

The sides are painted black, it is signed and dated, your painting arrives ready to hang. If you would like any additional information regarding this painting please feel free to email me with any questions.

Asian Woman in Sari Painting For Today

Thought Word and Deed



"Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well."

~ Mohandas Gandhi

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Thought Word And Deed
Medium: Acrylic on Wooden Block
Size: 4.5 X 6 x .75 in
11 X 15 x 2 cm
Date: 2007

This is a small folk painting of a beautiful Asian woman. Her jewel tone sari and jewelery are embellished with rich liquid gold leaf.

The sides are painted black, it is signed and dated, your painting arrives ready to hang. If you would like any additional information regarding this painting please feel free to email me with any questions.

Asymetric Art Deco Frida Painting For Today

“The universe is asymmetric and I am persuaded that life, as it is known to us, is a direct result of the asymmetry of the universe or of its indirect consequences. The universe is asymmetric.”

~ Louis Pasteur

This little painting is done with acrylics and metallics on a small wooden block. It's actually based on an smaller Frida painting I had completed earlier. It may be difficult to see on your screen, but the background is painted antique metallic gold.


Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: An Asymmetric Life
Medium: Acrylic on Wooden Block
Size: 5 x 7"
13 x 18 cm
Date: 2007


If you would like any additional information regarding this painting please feel free to email me with any questions.

FinaIly! A Finished Painting for Today!

Beyond Doubt



"There can be no doubt that the Virgin Mary is in heaven. How it happened we do not know."

~ Martin Luther

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


Although it may be difficult to see on your screen, this Madonna has plenty of texture and metallic gold.

Well, once again, it's been a busy time and no new painting or posts to my blog. it feels good to get back to the paints... I should have more new work up tomorrow.

Romantic Folk Art Painting Girl and Roses

“There is nothing more difficult for a truly creative painter than to paint a rose,
because before he can do so he has first to forget all the roses that were ever painted.”

~ Henri Matisse


Title: Paint the Rose
Medium: Acrylic on Wooden Block
Size: 5 X 7 x .75 in
13 X 18 x 2 cm
Date: 2007

Roses and a delicate raven haired girl, what could be more romantic? I must have been dreaming of the Impressionists as I worked on this little painting today.

The sides are painted black, it is signed and dated, your painting arrives ready to hang. If you would like any additional information regarding this painting please feel free to email me with any questions.

Utilitarian Age Fantasy Fairy Tale Folk Rapunzel Painting

"In a utilitarian age, of all other times, it is a matter of grave importance that fairy tales should be respected."

~Charles Dickens~

Artist: Wendy Ryan
Title: Utilitarian Times
Medium: Acrylic on Wooden Block
Size: 5 X 7
13 X 18 cm
Date: 2007

This is my entry in the Nibblefest Art Contest, "Fairy Tales". Nibblefest is a themed art contest beginning on the 20th of each month on eBay. I try to participate every month. But I have to admit, it is just a bit nerve wracking listing work at 99¢!

In this little piece, a raven haired Rapunzel contemplates the moonlit night. The sides are painted black, it is signed and dated, your painting arrives ready to hang.