The artist with two furry friends
Artist's Bio
Have you ever looked into an animal's eyes and became suddenly aware of the soul behind the twinkle? And you suddenly see: there's a unique individual shining through!
It's their soul, their indomitable spirits, their radiant joy, their life force; their sense of humour and fun which we humans identify with - and from which we can learn so much - that captivates me and any animal lover, and that I strive to capture in my paintings.
Animals make us human. Animals are worthy of our respect and our awe.
That's why I choose to paint them; so that we can become humble in our observations, and become more ourselves. Their exultant, ebullient lives make ours richer.
When I choose an image, it's because it tells a story. Sometimes the story is about cuteness, sweetness and charm, and you experience a moment of softness and tenderness (usually verbalised as "Awww....") That's okay, go ahead; awww...is such a wonderful way to let go of our rigidity and our hyper-grown-up wauys and experience an inner sigh, a sweetness. The paintings 'Hopelessly Devoted to You', 'Little Sir Echo', and 'Lid'l One' and 'The Littlest Grapevine' are meant to inspire cute-overload.
Other times the story is about wonder, majesty, regalness. The paintings 'Hungarian Vizsla', 'Maine Coon Cat' capture this. Sometimes the story is simply fun such as 'Playful Tom', or 'Aquatherapy'; or captures the silly things animals sometimes do, such as in 'Never Trust the Forecast'. Others, it's the story of time gone by, as an old faithful dog naps in a doorway 'Catching the Last Rays'. And at times I love to paint a story with a mystery; what is that cat looking at? 'The Window'..
It tells a story to humans about how wonderful and enriching animals are to us: both our companion animals and wild counterparts.
Most animals are revered in artist's-quality soft pastel because of its enormous range of colours, that pastel remains colour-true for many years, and the way it has a sparkle on the paper; faithfully representing the sparkle of the animals I paint. Other times coloured pencil is my first choice when the subject suggests fine detail, has lots and lots of patterned fur, or I am looking for a more illustrative or even shiny effect. Oils is a new medium and allows for a more painterly approach.
Coloured pencil has a translucency that can produce magical effects on paper, and any portrait done in this medium often surprises people with its realism, detail or painterly look.
I use acid-free, archival papers and boards that will stand the test of time without disintegrating.
Contact me for a quote for your pet portrait or favourite wildlife picture. And remember to be kind to all animals, they have feelings, too.
- Donna Ryan
Have you ever looked into an animal's eyes and became suddenly aware of the soul behind the twinkle? And you suddenly see: there's a unique individual shining through!
It's their soul, their indomitable spirits, their radiant joy, their life force; their sense of humour and fun which we humans identify with - and from which we can learn so much - that captivates me and any animal lover, and that I strive to capture in my paintings.
Animals make us human. Animals are worthy of our respect and our awe.
That's why I choose to paint them; so that we can become humble in our observations, and become more ourselves. Their exultant, ebullient lives make ours richer.
When I choose an image, it's because it tells a story. Sometimes the story is about cuteness, sweetness and charm, and you experience a moment of softness and tenderness (usually verbalised as "Awww....") That's okay, go ahead; awww...is such a wonderful way to let go of our rigidity and our hyper-grown-up wauys and experience an inner sigh, a sweetness. The paintings 'Hopelessly Devoted to You', 'Little Sir Echo', and 'Lid'l One' and 'The Littlest Grapevine' are meant to inspire cute-overload.
Other times the story is about wonder, majesty, regalness. The paintings 'Hungarian Vizsla', 'Maine Coon Cat' capture this. Sometimes the story is simply fun such as 'Playful Tom', or 'Aquatherapy'; or captures the silly things animals sometimes do, such as in 'Never Trust the Forecast'. Others, it's the story of time gone by, as an old faithful dog naps in a doorway 'Catching the Last Rays'. And at times I love to paint a story with a mystery; what is that cat looking at? 'The Window'..
It tells a story to humans about how wonderful and enriching animals are to us: both our companion animals and wild counterparts.
Most animals are revered in artist's-quality soft pastel because of its enormous range of colours, that pastel remains colour-true for many years, and the way it has a sparkle on the paper; faithfully representing the sparkle of the animals I paint. Other times coloured pencil is my first choice when the subject suggests fine detail, has lots and lots of patterned fur, or I am looking for a more illustrative or even shiny effect. Oils is a new medium and allows for a more painterly approach.
Coloured pencil has a translucency that can produce magical effects on paper, and any portrait done in this medium often surprises people with its realism, detail or painterly look.
I use acid-free, archival papers and boards that will stand the test of time without disintegrating.
Contact me for a quote for your pet portrait or favourite wildlife picture. And remember to be kind to all animals, they have feelings, too.
- Donna Ryan