Tom Ryan

I live near the Adirondacks and enjoy the great natural beauty and historical significance of upstate New York. The Adirondacks are unsurpassed for artistic inspiration, particularly the rolling hills, mountains, lakes, and rivers; and the varying atmospheric effects. I find  watercolor the ideal medium to capture this beautiful landscape and shifting moods. I love to create luminous and colorful watercolors that depict serenity, harmony, and beauty. 

Each color theme reflects my emotional response to the subject, with playful choices of color that may or may not relate to the actual color of the subject. My approach is to push color to express emotion, delight the eye, be daring perhaps, and enjoyable. I rely on my imagination for color choice and hope viewers see a pleasing painting that reflects the fun I had painting it.

I grew up in Schuylerville and many of my friends were from farm families. I enjoyed my time with them on their farms, and appreciated their hard work and dedication. I particularly enjoy painting farms and barns in watercolor. My paintings may not accurately reflect an existing farm. I take parts, eliminate parts, and add parts to form the composition. I also use my own color scheme, without utilizing actual colors. I also incorporate figures in many of the paintings, either as the main or secondary center of interest.

Tom Ryan grew up in Schuylerville, developed an early interest in art, and enjoyed the beauty of upstate New York. During his engineering career, he started oil painting, but found a passion in watercolors. He studied watercolors with Betty Lou Schlemm in Rockport, Massachusetts. 

Tom has painted for many years and participated in several shows, lectured, and demonstrated watercolor painting, and judged art competitions. He taught watercolor classes and led workshops for more than twenty years. He was awarded signature membership in the North East Watercolor Society, and is past president of the Upper Hudson Valley Watercolor Society. In 2013, Tom with Sue Beadle, founded a regional plein air painters’ group, Plein Air Adirondack. 

In 2000, Tom received an individual artist grant from the Saratoga Arts, for a project involving the historic Bow Bridge in Hadley, New York. One of the outcomes of this grant was a published book he compiled “The Art and History of the Bow Bridge” that includes his own art as well as that of several other individuals. 
 
In 2022, Tom was selected to paint the cover image as well as 10 chapter paintings for a new book, “Stewards of the Water” by the Assembly Point Water Quality Coalition. The book deals with the people, places, and events relating to environmental issues facing beautiful Lake George.

 “Applying paint to paper is both challenging and exciting,” explains Tom. According to Dee Sarno, former Executive Director of the Saratoga Arts, “Tom has obviously captured these feelings through his art. His vivid watercolors have been recognized with awards in numerous juried shows and are in many corporate and private collections.”