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Tom Ryan painted for years in oils, until his wife gave him a watercolor
set for his birthday in 1985. He hasn’t looked back since. “I’m hooked.
I won’t say I’ve given up oils, but I haven’t been back to them,” Mr.
Ryan said recently from his Corinth home.
Mr. Ryan, a partner and co-founder of Ryan-Biggs Associates, an
engineering firm in Troy, retired as a structural engineer in 1997 and
often spends part of every day painting. Tom can be found on location or
in his Corinth studio painting landscapes, people, and trains. “I like
painting rivers, lakes, oceans, or even fog and rain and snow,” he said.
One of his paintings, “Fish or Cut Bait,” won a national award for a
painting that portrays a man cleaning his fish on a dock.
Mr. Ryan is involved in many facets of the arts community in this
region. He is past president of the Watercolor Society based in Glens
Falls and is currently the editor and publisher of the organization’s
newsletter. Tom has studied with several noted artists, participated in
many shows, lectured and demonstrated watercolor painting and judged art
competitions. He teaches watercolor classes at the Saratoga County Arts
Council in Saratoga Springs and has served as a panel member for LARAC’s
Individual Artist Grant program.
In 2000 Tom was a recipient of an Individual Artist Grant
administered by the Saratoga Arts Council, funded by the NYS Council on
the Arts Decentralization Program. The project centered on the Bow
Bridge in Hadley, which was scheduled for demolition. Tom’s watercolors
showcased the Bow Bridge, brought school children and the community into
the project, and published a book, “The Art and History of the Bow
Bridge”. It could be said that his artist’s project was instrumental in
promoting the bridge’s history and plight, which lead to the renovation
of the bridge rather than its destruction. He has also written a book
that includes his own art as well as that of several other individuals.
In 2001, Tom was honored by receiving a third place award from thousands
of entries in the Strathmore National Watercolor Competition.
You can find Tom’s work for sale regionally, and beyond. His work can
often be found through LARAC (the June and Fall Festivals, the Holiday
Shop, and in gallery shows). His work has also been on exhibit at the
North Creek Railway Depot Museum, North Creek; The Art Center, Lake
Luzerne; Art of the Hunt Gallery at Pheasant Ridge, Greenwich;
Woodworks, Corinth; and Harmony Hill Gallery, Troy. He is currently
preparing 25 new works for a show at the Colonie Library in September. |
