Having held the position of Workshop Coordinator for the past three years at the
Artists of Yardley Center in Yardley, PA, I have had the privilege of working with
Abbey Ryan a few times now. I have to say, there is something so magical about watching her paint. Her workshops typically start with a demo of a full three hours as she takes you from start to finish with a small oil painting. Interestingly enough what she had set up to paint the night before was not what she was inclined to paint in the morning. Having chosen these dark figs and piece of pottery that is so distinctive in her work, I was fascinated with how she captured all the dark variations that were so subtle in the natural light from the window. Students watched while she painted and answered questions throughout the morning. Her sincere, genuine, honest approach puts you at ease immediately as she encourages all skill levels in her workshops. In the afternoon students spread throughout the old farmhouse with it's wide window sills of natural light and enjoyed painting from their own still life set ups while Abbey moved from student to student offering her thoughts and encouragement. The day went all together too fast. Fortunately in the two day workshop, students can leave their set ups for the following day!
