Susan Ryan
Paper Mache, Paintings & More

 

I have worked as a commercial and a fine artist for more than 40 years. I graduated from Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles, with a BFA in Illustration in 1971. I then began a career in advertising as a freelance illustrator, working with advertising agencies in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, New York and Chicago for the next 18 years. In the early 80’s I left the world of advertising and started painting in oils and playing around with paper mache. For the next several years I showed my paintings in solo and group shows in Southern California, and also completed numerous private commissions. In the late 80’s I created a line of wooden miniatures which I marketed to the wholesale gift market. This work sold in galleries and museum gift shops throughout the United States. About 10 years ago I went back to painting and paper mache, which I continue to focus on today. My paintings present an idealized world of buildings, houses, and gardens. My 3-dimensional work—trompe l’oeil sculpture and pieces created from recycled materials--suggest a world of spirituality, infused with elegance and ancient meaning.

 

EDUCATION

Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles CA, BFA in Illustration, 1971, with Honors

SOLO SHOWS

1984    Paintings, Museum of North Orange County, Fullerton CA
1985    Susan Ryan Paintings, The Improv, West Hollywood CA
1988    Favorite Places, Huntington Beach Municipal Gallery, Huntington Beach CA
1988    Paintings of Architecture, Public Corporation for the Arts, City Hall, Long Beach CA
2006    381, Seat for Social Justice, CRUCIAL CENTER, Buffalo NY
2006    Forgotten City, Forgotten Dreams, Seat for Social Justice, NACC, Niagara Falls NY

GROUP SHOWS

1985    Image 86, Burbank Chamber of Commerce, Burbank CA, First Place
1988    Long Beach Art Expedition, featured artist/studio, Long Beach CA
1988    Artist-Made Toys, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana CA
1989    Long Beach Art Expedition, featured artist/studio, Long Beach CA
1989    Sweet Chair-ity Auction, Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica CA
1990    First Annual Children’s Art Walk Painting Workshop for Inner City Kids, Long Beach CA
1991    Images and Origins: Reflections of Women Artists, City Hall Bridge Gallery, Los Angeles CA
2006    Music is Art Live, 3rd Season, UB Center for the Arts, Amherst NY
2006    Embodiment, First Annual Members Show, Arts Council of Buffalo, Buffalo NY
2006    Beyond the Barrel, Niagara Falls Arts & Cultural Center, Niagara Falls NY
2006    15th Annual Regional Artists Exhibition, Art Dialogue Gallery, Buffalo NY, Honorable Mention
2006    Music is Art Live, 4th Season, UB Center for the Arts, Amherst NY
2006    National Exhibition—Fall 2006, Impact Artists Gallery, Buffalo NY
2006    Seat for Social Justice-Celebration of MLK Day, Durham Memorial Church, Buffalo NY
2010    What I Do Best, Western New York Artists Group, Buffalo NY
2011    Modern Works, Western New York Artists Group, Buffalo NY
2012    Artists Among Us, Burchfield Penny Art Gallery, Buffalo NY
2012    Timeless Meditations—Mandalas & Patterns in Nature, Center for the Arts, Tubac AZ
2013    5th Annual Collector’s Choice, Sylvia White Gallery, Ventura CA
2013    Play It Again, Sam, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, Sebastopol CA
2015    Red, Russian River Art Gallery, Guerneville, CA
2015    Anything Goes, Graton Gallery, Graton CA, Honorable Mention
2015    Annual Small Works Show, Graton Gallery, Graton CA, Honorable Mention
2015    Under the Influence, Invitational group exhibit, Graton Gallery, Graton CA
2016    Anything Goes, Graton Gallery, Graton CA, Honorable Mention and Third Place
2017    Anything Goes, Graton Gallery, Graton CA, Honorable Mention

SELECTED PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

Mrs. Freddie Fields, Beverly Hills CA
Cher, Malibu CA
Karen Schuler & Alfonse Ruggerio, Marina del Rey CA
Tom Rodgers, Alexandria VA
Gail Goldwasser & Mark Chatinsky, Beverly Hills CA
Alan Gratzer & Nancy Taylor, Auburn CA
Susan Seaberry, Oxnard CA

GALLERY REPRESENTATION

Graton Gallery, Graton CA