Attend the artist reception for Jim Ryan of Newfields, New Hampshire, on January 4th, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Seacoast Artist Association gallery, 130 Water Street, Exeter.

Raptors

I have always had a love of hawks, owls, and other raptors. For me, their beauty and regalness represent the best of nature. While others see their fierceness, I see their peace and feel a sense of presence. In this series, I have zoomed in on their faces to highlight their amazing eyes and feathers. Raptors have some of the largest eyes in the animal kingdom and they are striking when seen up close. Their feathers have such amazing patterns and their natural colors give the paintings a sense of softness and movement. To capture this, I used earthy, low-intensity oil paint and kept the framing simple. The goal of the two larger pieces was to fully enhance the connection to the raptors life force and beauty.

A number of the raptors featured were in rehab facilities after being injured and found in the wild. I tried to include their rescuer’s buildings and landscapes in the reflections of their eyes. Thank you to those who work to rehabilitate these animals.

Jim Ryan started painting only a few years ago at the age of 55. He is a mainly self-taught artist, working mainly with oil paint. He also uses watercolors, colored pencils, charcoal, graphite, as well as, doing plein air work. His raptors have been shown in Newburyport and Merrimac MA. One of his paintings recently won the “Peoples Choice Award” at the Seacoast Art Association’s annual contest.

Jim grew up in Dorchester and recently moved to Newfields, NH. He works full time in the training and development field in the Healthcare industry. He enjoys bird watching, mountain biking, and mountaineering.

Website – www.jimryanart.net