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News - Personal Announcement

I posted some news on my instagram -- I’m thrilled to share that I’m pregnant and about to give birth sometime this week. My wife and I are over the moon! Read more, see some photos, and follow me there.

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"Turn of a Friendly Card" and "Natura morta con formaggio, frutta, noci e vino" (two piece; Large commission)

Turn of a Friendly Card (top painting)

Natura morta con formaggio, frutta, noci e vino (bottom painting)

oil on panel, 20 x 24 inches each

Private collection (commission)

This two piece commission is another of my recent large commissions. Click on each image to see a closer view of each 20"x24" painting. I worked closely with the collector on the still life elements and other personal details that they wished to include. 

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New website

If you're interested, I have a new website at abbeyryan.com:



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Still Life with Figs, Pecorino Romano Cheese, and Temmoku Bottle (the light, the shade) (larger painting)


Still Life with Figs, Pecorino Romano Cheese, and Temmoku Bottle (the light, the shade)
oil on linen on panel, 2023, 11"x14"
Sold - Private collection

"Art after all is but an extension of language to the expression of sensations too subtle for words." ~Robert Henri

This new larger still life was inspired by an 11x14" painting I did 10 years ago in December 2013, Still Life with Figs, Bleu Cheese, and Temmoku Bottle (the light, the shade), which you can see here. The 2023 composition is loosely a mirror of the one from 2013. If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see a bunch of my paintings of cheese or bottles or figs, or other paintings in my "the light / the shade" series inspired by the poetry of Robert Lax.

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The Improbable Question: Still Life with Stacked PB&J and Scarlet Tanager (diptych) (Large commission)

The Improbable Question: Still Life with Stacked PB&J and Scarlet Tanager (diptych)
oil on linen on panel, two panels, 18 x 14 inches each
Private collection (commission)

This diptych is one of my recent large commissions. Below also is a closer view of each 18"x14" painting in the diptych, with some detail views.

I worked closely with the collector on the temporal elements and other personal details that they wished to include. On a related note, if you're interested in reading about still life and reflections on space and time, below is an interesting excerpt from the Introduction in Matilde Marcolli's Still life as a Model of Spacetime (2012) essay.

This diptych was also selected as a finalist for the 16th International Art Renewal Competition (ARC) Salon. ARC reviewed over 5,400 paintings from 75 countries.

Left panel:


Right panel:

 

 If you're interested, below are some detail views:






As I noted above, here is the excerpt from the Introduction in Matilde Marcolli's Still life as a Model of Spacetime (2012) essay:

"Still life is the most philosophical genre of traditional figurative painting. It saw some of its most famous manifestations in the Flemish tradition of the XVII century, but it evolved and survived as a meaningful presence through much of XX century art, adopted by avant-garde movements such as cubism and dadaism.

The purpose of this essay is to dig into the philosophical meaning behind the still life painting and show how this genre can be regarded as a sophisticated method to present in a pictorial and immediately accessible visual way, reflections upon the evolving notions of space and time, which played a fundamental role in the parallel cultural developments of Western European mathematical and scientific thought, from the XVII century, up to the present time. 

A challenge for the artists of today becomes then how to continue this tradition. Is the theme of still life, as it matured and evolved throughout the dramatic developments of XX century art, still a valuable method to represent and reflect upon the notions of spacetime that our current scientific thinking is producing, from the extra dimensions of string theory to the spin foams and spin networks of loop quantum gravity, to non-commutative spaces, or information based emergent gravity? Some may feel that the notions of spacetime contemporary physics and mathematics are dealing with nowadays are too remote from the familiar everyday objects that form the basic jargon of still life paintings. However, much the same could be said about the notions of relativistic spacetime and the bizarre world of quantum mechanics that were trickling down to the collective imagination in the early XX century, and yet the artists of the avant-garde movements of the time were ready to jump onto concepts such as non-euclidean geometry, higher dimensions, and the like, and bring them into contact with a drastic revision of what it means to 'represent' the everyday objects that surround us, and that come to occupy a profoundly altered concept of space and time. So, I believe, the challenge is a valid one, even in the light of the ever more complex landscape of today's thinking about the concepts of space and time, and I take the occasion to make an open call here to the practicing artists, to take up the challenge and paint a new chapter of the 'still life' genre, suitable for the minds of the current century." Keep reading here.

Marcolli shares on their webpage that they are "'a drifter of Dadaist persuasion' (computational linguist, sometime physicist and occasional mathematician)." 

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Two Golden Pears (present moment)


Click to view auction 
(3 day auction ends at ~4:30pm on Tues. 8/1)

"It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?" ~Thoreau

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see still life with copper pot and pears (the light, the shade) (2017) [Available as a signed print HERE], Pear with Antique Pewter Mug (2021), Hand-picked Pear with Leaves (present moment) (2021), or a bunch of my paintings of pears or paintings from my present moment series.

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Still life with Delft Vase and Blackberries (the light / the shade)

Still life with Delft Vase and Blackberries (the light / the shade)
oil on linen on panel, 2023, 4"x5"
Sold - Private collection

"The object isn't to make art, it's to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable." ~Robert Henri

If you're interested, learn more about and see my paintings from my "the light / the shade" series painted during my residency on this islands of Patmos and Lipsi, Greece in 2017. You can also see other paintings from my the light / the shade series here

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Still Life with Tart Cherries and Silver Creamer (with Self Portrait Reflection)


Click to view auction

If you look closely, in the creamer you can see my self-portrait reflection. Here are a bunch of my paintings with self portrait reflections. These cherries and this creamer were given to me as a gift -- follow that link to see some of my still life paintings that were inspired by the generosity of others.

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." ~Thoreau

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see Still Life with Cherries and Silver Creamer (with Self Portrait Reflection) (2022), or a bunch of my paintings of cherries or this creamer.

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Tart Cherries in a Silver Compote



These cherries were given to me as a gift -- follow that link to see some of my still life paintings that were inspired by the generosity of others.

"My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird—
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.
 
Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,
 
which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,
 
which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever."
~ Messenger by Mary Oliver

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see Strawberries in a Silver Compote (with Snow Reflections) (2018) or a bunch of my paintings of cherries or this silver compote.

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Tart Cherries with Leaves (the light / the shade)


Click to view auction

"There is no art without contemplation." ~Robert Henri

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see Still Life with Cherries, Silver Bowl, and Dutch Cheese (present moment) [available as a signed print HERE], Still Life with Four Cherries on Marble (2016), or a bunch of my paintings of cherries.

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Partially Peeled Tangerine No. 2 (the light / the shade)


Click to view auction

"No work of art is really ever finished. They only stop at good places." ~Robert Henri

This painting is part of my the light / the shade series, inspired by the poetry of Robert Lax.

If you're interested, Three Peaches on a Blue Block from Patmos, Greece painting auction ends tomorrow, July 18 at 1:30pm ET. 

Green Pear (present moment)


Click to view auction

"What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us." ~Thoreau

This painting is part of my ongoing "present moment" series. One of the first in the series, Blue and White Sake Cup (present moment) (2015), has some explanation about it. Also, if you're interested, Henry David Thoreau, American essayist, poet, and philosopher, was born today in 1817. 

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see still life with copper pot and pears (the light, the shade) (2018) [also available as a signed art print HERE], Pecorino Busti al Pistaccio and Bosc Pear from Testaccio Market, Rome (Italy 2017 painting #3), South Korean Bowl with Asian Pears (larger painting) (2017), Bosc Pear (The Green Stripe - La Raie Verte) (2014), Two Bosc Pears (2013), or a bunch of my paintings of pears. If you want to read some other quotes I've posted, those can be found here.  

Email Hygiene
If you're considering subscribing to my painting emails, or if you already have subscribed, a big thank you for your interest in my work. I post periodically that it's important for you to check on your email list preferences. Click here to choose your preferred email list to get exactly what you want (or don't want). IF YOU'RE ALREADY SUBSCRIBED, check your email today -- you can change your preferred email list by clicking on the "Update Profile" link at the bottom of every email I send. If you find yourself just deleting my "painting a day" or marking the emails as spam or just feeling like unsubscribing, it is easy to do so -- again, at the bottom of every email I send.  

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Three Peaches on a Blue Block from Patmos, Greece

 
Click to view auction

"To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of the arts." ~Thoreau

I am back to posting a few smaller auction paintings, and will also be sharing some of the larger works that I've been focusing on. 

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see pear on a blue block from patmos, greece (the light / the shade) (2018), which is available for sale (just email me). You may also like Two Pears on Blue Block from Patmos, Greece (Yin & Yang) (2018), Fortune Cookie with Blue Block from Patmos, Greece (2017), or a bunch of my paintings of peaches or this blue block from Patmos, Greece. If you want to read some other quotes I've posted, those can be found here.  

Email Hygiene
If you're considering subscribing to my painting emails, or if you already have subscribed, a big thank you for your interest in my work. I post periodically that it's important for you to check on your email list preferences. Click here to choose your preferred email list to get exactly what you want (or don't want).

IF YOU'RE ALREADY SUBSCRIBED, check your email today -- you can change your preferred email list by clicking on the "Update Profile" link at the bottom of every email I send.

If you find yourself just deleting my "painting a day" or marking the emails as spam or just feeling like unsubscribing, it is easy to do so -- again, at the bottom of every email I send.

To get my painting in your inbox, sign up here.

Thank you (free posters/screen backgrounds)

To show my appreciation for you and your interest in my work, I have several free posters (screen wallpapers). Please feel free to download them or share with anyone you think would enjoy them:

Magnolia Blossom


oil on linen on panel, 2019, 5"x5"
Private collection (commission)

I found this painting in my draft posts; somehow I forgot to post it in 2019. The magnolias are just starting to show buds here in Philadelphia.

If you're interested in this painting, you might also enjoy my other magnolia paintings, or Still Life of Peonies in a Silver Pitcher (with Self-Portrait Reflection) (2022, larger painting), or Still Life with Pink Peony Buds (2021), or a bunch of my other paintings of flowers.

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Tangerine with Leaves No. 3 (present moment)

Sold

This is the third painting in a series of three Tangerine (present moment) paintings. Here is No. 1. and No. 2. Here's all 3 together:

Sold

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see Tangerine with Leaves No. 1 (present moment), Tangerine with Leaves No. 2 (present moment), a bunch of my paintings of tangerines or paintings from my ongoing "present moment" series.

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Tangerine with Leaves No. 2 (present moment)


Sold

This is the second painting in a series of three Tangerine (present moment) paintings. Here is No. 1. I'll post No. 3 tomorrow.

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see Tangerine with Leaves No. 1 (present moment), a bunch of my paintings of tangerines or paintings from my ongoing "present moment" series.

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Tangerine with Leaves No. 1 (present moment)

 
Sold

Happy New Year. This is my first painting of 2023. 

If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see a bunch of my paintings of tangerines or paintings from my ongoing "present moment" series.

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Happy New Year, 2023

peace, love, and joy to you in 2023.

The detail of my Bell painting above is from November 2007.

Stay up to date with my work: 

Two Pears (Yin & Yang)


Sold

“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.” ~Henry David Thoreau

This painting continues my "yin and yang" series that I began back in 2010. If you enjoy this painting, you may also like to see Still Life with Pear and Silver Cup (2022), Hand-picked Pear with Leaves (present moment) (2021), golden series: peach, pear, five blackberries, bleu cheese (the light / the shade) (2018), still life with copper pot and pears (the light, the shade) (2018), or a bunch of my paintings of pears or the other paintings from my "yin & yang" series.

PRINT SALE:
Four archival prints are now available, hand signed, dated, and titled, only at my blog.

PURCHASE HERE

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