Welcome To My Blog
My interests are varied and wide, but always find their way back to my passions: nature, wildlife, sun playing shadow-games with what I see, and my attempts, through my artwork, to capture something of the essence of what catches my eye. There is a lot of joy in discovering something very beautiful and sometimes hidden, then bringing that aspect to light through a painting.
After having lived in Los Angeles for over a quarter century (yikes!), I now revel in the countryside near me and never tire of it. 
Blacktail deer and wild turkeys wander freely and unmolested through the small town I found five years ago. (Of course, lots of other critters also wander through my front yard, but they tend to keep to the shadows and at night. Some, like skunks, find perverse pleasure in living under my house and spraying occasionally, especially in winter when I can’t air out the house without freezing. Phee-uwwwww!!!)
My paintings are inspired by what crosses my path, what I see on my walks and travels – whatever makes my heart beat a bit faster when I get hit with a sense of awe and delight.
Nature has also come to live with me in the form of four beautiful parrot companions: Sam (Jardine’s parrot), Chipper and Charlie No-Toe (cockatiels), and Pippin (lovebird). You will hear more about them in future blogs, but a brief visual acquaintance is in order. This is Sam looking out the window:
Chipper: eldest and in charge -- sensitive, highly interactive, always thinking (and conniving), and literary critic (aka Chipperoo, Roo) after which the blog was named Charlie No-Toe: singing, hanging out, and copying Chipper is his game
Pippin: the smallest and the sweetest and the smartest ball of energy
And Sam again: biggest, cuddliest green eating machine – and very shy.
So you have now met the main cast of characters that influence what and why I paint. I will be happy to share more with you in future postings. Stay tuned!
After having lived in Los Angeles for over a quarter century (yikes!), I now revel in the countryside near me and never tire of it. 
Blacktail deer and wild turkeys wander freely and unmolested through the small town I found five years ago. (Of course, lots of other critters also wander through my front yard, but they tend to keep to the shadows and at night. Some, like skunks, find perverse pleasure in living under my house and spraying occasionally, especially in winter when I can’t air out the house without freezing. Phee-uwwwww!!!)
My paintings are inspired by what crosses my path, what I see on my walks and travels – whatever makes my heart beat a bit faster when I get hit with a sense of awe and delight.
Nature has also come to live with me in the form of four beautiful parrot companions: Sam (Jardine’s parrot), Chipper and Charlie No-Toe (cockatiels), and Pippin (lovebird). You will hear more about them in future blogs, but a brief visual acquaintance is in order. This is Sam looking out the window:
Chipper: eldest and in charge -- sensitive, highly interactive, always thinking (and conniving), and literary critic (aka Chipperoo, Roo) after which the blog was named Charlie No-Toe: singing, hanging out, and copying Chipper is his game
Pippin: the smallest and the sweetest and the smartest ball of energy
And Sam again: biggest, cuddliest green eating machine – and very shy.
So you have now met the main cast of characters that influence what and why I paint. I will be happy to share more with you in future postings. Stay tuned!
posted by Shannon Ryan at
12:03 AM
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