About Me

Indentations collage and oil on board
Fields oil and collage on board 16 x 12 ins.
There will be sunshine...oil on board 30 x 24 ins.
Timelessness oil on canvas 24 x 30 ins.
Fields oil and collage on board 16 x 12 ins.
Stillness oil on canvas 30 x 24 ins.
Twilight oil on board 19 x 16 ins.
Joyfulness Reflected oil on canvas 12 x 8 ins.
Aoibhneas oill and collage on canvas 16 x 12 ins.
About Me
Growing up in the beautiful and unique Connemara area, I have always been influenced by its old houses, farm buildings, and the marks and textures of the landscape. The history embedded within this landscape continues to inspire my work.
 
I use a variety of media to reflect the changing light, the time of day, and the subtle nuances of the landscape. Isolation is a central theme throughout my work and is used to convey both the physical nature of the area and the sense of sadness that often surrounds the old buildings, many of which now stand deserted and crumbling. Yet these places still seem to hold the presence and whispers of our ancestors, echoing memories from my childhood.
 
I often use collage to convey the traces and textures that can still be seen on the land, as demonstrated in Silent Serenity (2025).
 
The fleeting quality of light can be seen in Magical Light – Connemara (2022), while the otherworldly atmosphere of twilight is explored in Magical Summer Twilight (2024).
 
I also use techniques such as pouring and mopping oil paint to create the effects of shadow and light, as seen in Dreamland (2025).
 
The rich blues in Lost in Blue (2026) reflect the nearby waters of Lough Corrib and help to convey the mood and character of the landscape.
 
My titles often reference the time of day, the changing light and the varying moods of the landscape, as seen in works such as Dawn (2025), Summer Glory (2025), and Toward Night (2023).
 
Through my work, I seek to capture not only the physical appearance of Connemara, but also its atmosphere, history and enduring spirit.
 
Artistic CV

Artistic Education

2004 – B.A. Fine Art (Hons) at G.M.I.T. Galway

2003 – Diploma in Art & Design at G.M.I.T. Galway (Student of the Year)

Solo Exhibitions

2017 – Streamline Salon, San Francisco

2016 – Whitney Modern Gallery, Los Gatos, California

2012 – Gerard Dillon Gallery, Culturlann McAdam O’Fiaich, Belfast

I have also taken part in many group paint and print exhibitions nationally and internationally, including the inaugural show of Tulca in Galway, as part of a G.M.I.T. project.

Group Exhibitions

2026 – Bolay Group Exhibition, the Linenhall, Castlebar: curated by Marianne O’Kane Boal

2025 – Winter Exhibition, Kenny’s Gallery, Galway

2024 – Group exhibition, Alexandra College, Dublin

Other Information

I was a founding member of Galway Print Studio. I work from my studio, located in my home in the village of Cornamona.

Growing up in Connemara I have always been intrigued by the many and varied abandoned houses in this part of Ireland. Many have survived since famine times due to their thick stone walls and simple but solid structures. They have been vacated along the way for many reasons; emigration, hardship family lines dying off etc.

To me they have a wonderful sense of history and mystery about them, and always seem full of character. They come from bygone eras, and in many instances stand side by side with modern day irish “bungalow bliss”. Many of them are now used as sheds or cow byres. They can be a myriad of colours; in many cases the owners have had to use only whatever paint is on hand to maintain them. To me they are full of beauty, but always with a sense of desolation about them.

Because these buildings have a unique character due to their age and history, I have tried recently to use paint in different and inventive

ways to capture the atmosphere that surrounds them. As well as using the traditional brush methods of applying paint, I have experimented, with techniques involving spilling, mopping and scraping back the paint, to create the shapes and moods that I associate with these beautiful yet mysterious structures.

I feel that John Gray really captured what I strive to achieve in my work, when he said in a review of my recent exhibition, “‘Connemara light’ may be a well worn cliché both of tourist literature and the history of landscape painting in the area, but Ryan herself extols it, and succeeds in bringing a fresh vibrancy to it.

Original paintings
by Bridie Ryan