Statement: 
Connie Ryan, Artist Statement 
I am drawn to paint the beauty in the natural world as well as the beauty in what is old, neglected and discarded. I usually start a painting with an image or a feeling, but if the painting goes in another direction, I follow it, giving the painting permission to be itself. I paint by making forms and then dissolving them, searching for structure that allows breathing space. 
My paintings have a history. Sometimes they are torn and stitched back together again. Other times they are composed of many layers or journeys before finally arriving at a resting point, at least for now. In my recent work I am using collage (mostly used tea-bags), acrylic paint, ink and thread. I find making art healing, playful, and challenging. When I have the opportunity to spend time in my studio I am more open to the outside world. I can appreciate the beauty and cope better with the craziness. And if what I make speaks to other people and they find it healing, playful and challenging, all the better. 



Resume: 
Education 
Art classes with artist Louise Smith, Berkeley, Ca 
Ongoing critique group with artist Lisa Kokin, El Sobrante, CA 

Exhibition History
Ongoing Valley Art Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA 
2024 Sebastopol Center for the Arts, CA,  Driven to Distraction, juried by Carl Heyward
2024 Studio Gallery, San Francisco, CA, Tiny Show
2024 Gearbox Gallery, Oakland CA, Reclaimed/Repurposed, juried by Nancy Toomey
2024 Transmission Gallery, Oakland, CA,  Pint Size
2023 021 Art Works Downtown, San Raphael, CA, Small Works Exhibit, juried by Eleanor Harwood
2023 Studio Gallery, San Francisco, CA, Tiny Show
2023 Gearbox Gallery , Oakland. CA, In Sight or from Imagination, juried by Jeremy Morgan 
2023 Featured Artist, Arrivals and Departures, Valley Art Gallery, CA
2022 Sebastopol Center for the Arts, CA,  Not Just Landscapes, juried by Richard McDaniel 
2021 Art Works Downtown, San Raphael, CA, Small Works Exhibit, Juried by Jack Fisher 
2021 Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, CA Convergence, juried by Susan Snyder 
2021 Women Artists Show and Tell, Harrington Gallery, Pleasanton, CA 
2021 Shift, Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery, Lafayette, CA 
2020 Small Footprint, Jennifer Perlmutter Gallery, Lafayette, CA 
2020 Spinning Yarns, ACCI Gallery, Berkeley, CA 
2017 Bluets, Gearbox Gallery, Oakland, Juror Jack Fisher 
2015 Collector, Oakland, CA 
2013 Collector, Berkeley, CA 
2013 Gary Francis Fine Art, Alameda, CA