Copyright © Conn Ryder. All artwork is the exclusive property of Conn Ryder. No images may be reproduced, copied, stored or manipulated in any form without written consent of the artist.
biography
Conn Ryder is a Colorado abstract artist that was drawn to and garnered praise for her art from an early age. But it was a lesson during a high school drawing class that expanded her way of thinking about art. Assigned to create a pencil drawing of a shoe, Conn sorted through a box of old shoes and, after choosing a clean white Keds sneaker, tied the laces in a neat bow and began sketching. Noticing this, her teacher lunged toward her desk and heaved the sneaker across the room where it slammed against the wall. He wildly dug through the box of shoes, eventually pulling out an oversized, raggedy, high-topped basketball shoe with the tongue half ripped off and shredded shoelaces. He slammed the tattered shoe down in front of Conn and said "Draw this. This shoe has character!" Conn created the best drawing she had done to date and received an A+ for her efforts. More importantly, she walked away with a lesson in seeing the character, interest and beauty in the least obvious places.
Conn studied fashion illustration at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, and later studied painting at the Kansas City Art Institute. During college, one of Conn's instructors led a group of art students into the painting studio one day to show them a large vibrant abstract Conn was working on. The instructor pulled the painting out of the storage slot, only to discover the previously colorful canvas had been painted over with thick, black oil paint. Conn later explained that out of frustration with the painting, she covered the surface in black paint, and in doing so, freed herself from the creative fetters of the previous image. The next afternoon, she feverishly scraped back into the black surface, reworking areas as she went and uncovered a more complex and texturally varied abstract that suited her sensibilities. The instructor said she knew then that Conn was a true artist.
When Conn later turned to representational painting, she studied with Daniel E. Greene, Joan Potter and Robert Vaughn. However, she feels it is through her more recent self-directed exploration that she has truly metamorphosed as an artist. Though the course of her artistic evolution has zigzagged through fashion illustration and representational art, Conn has found her way back to the abstract painting that most resonates in her core.
Conn draws inspiration for her abstract paintings from the experiences of her life, from the music that stirs her, from the Colorado landscape . . . and most of all from viewing everything in life with raggedy-shoe awareness.
Conn Ryder is a Colorado abstract artist that was drawn to and garnered praise for her art from an early age. But it was a lesson during a high school drawing class that expanded her way of thinking about art. Assigned to create a pencil drawing of a shoe, Conn sorted through a box of old shoes and, after choosing a clean white Keds sneaker, tied the laces in a neat bow and began sketching. Noticing this, her teacher lunged toward her desk and heaved the sneaker across the room where it slammed against the wall. He wildly dug through the box of shoes, eventually pulling out an oversized, raggedy, high-topped basketball shoe with the tongue half ripped off and shredded shoelaces. He slammed the tattered shoe down in front of Conn and said "Draw this. This shoe has character!" Conn created the best drawing she had done to date and received an A+ for her efforts. More importantly, she walked away with a lesson in seeing the character, interest and beauty in the least obvious places.
Conn studied fashion illustration at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, and later studied painting at the Kansas City Art Institute. During college, one of Conn's instructors led a group of art students into the painting studio one day to show them a large vibrant abstract Conn was working on. The instructor pulled the painting out of the storage slot, only to discover the previously colorful canvas had been painted over with thick, black oil paint. Conn later explained that out of frustration with the painting, she covered the surface in black paint, and in doing so, freed herself from the creative fetters of the previous image. The next afternoon, she feverishly scraped back into the black surface, reworking areas as she went and uncovered a more complex and texturally varied abstract that suited her sensibilities. The instructor said she knew then that Conn was a true artist.
When Conn later turned to representational painting, she studied with Daniel E. Greene, Joan Potter and Robert Vaughn. However, she feels it is through her more recent self-directed exploration that she has truly metamorphosed as an artist. Though the course of her artistic evolution has zigzagged through fashion illustration and representational art, Conn has found her way back to the abstract painting that most resonates in her core.
Conn draws inspiration for her abstract paintings from the experiences of her life, from the music that stirs her, from the Colorado landscape . . . and most of all from viewing everything in life with raggedy-shoe awareness.
resumé
Education
Kansas City Art Institute, 1989-90
Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, 1975-77
Johnson County Community College, 1986-88
Workshops/Private Instruction
Daniel E. Greene —Roanoke, VA
Joan Potter —Taos, NM
Robert Vaughn —Overland Park, KS
Juried Exhibitions
2011
The "Women" Show, CORE New Art Space; Denver, CO
The Wide Open Whatever (WOW) Show; CORE New Art Space; Denver, CO
2010
"Midwest National Abstract Exhibition VI"; The Garfield Park Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN
"COLOR-ado !"; Chautauqua Community House, Boulder, CO
"All Colorado Show 2010", Depot Art Center & Gallery, Littleton, CO
"The Artist's Choice" Lakewood Arts Council; The Lakewood Cultural Center; Lakewood, CO
Wide Open Whatever (WOW) Show; CORE New Art Space; Denver, CO
2009 & Earlier
13th Annual "Lines into Shapes" National Art Show; Art Center of Estes Park; Estes Park, CO
"All Colorado Show 2009"; Depot Art Center & Gallery; Littleton, CO
"From the Garden" Lakewood Arts Council; LAC Community Art Center & Gallery; Lakewood, CO
"The Artist's Choice" Lakewood Arts Council; The Lakewood Cultural Center; Lakewood, CO
"Vistas" Lakewood Arts Council; LAC Community Art Center & Gallery; Lakewood, CO
Westminster Faire Art Show, Westminster, CO
"Art of the Absurd" Ec-Lec-Tic Art - Contemporary Art Experiments; Denver, CO
"Portraits, 'Scapes & Still Lifes" Ec-Lec-Tic Art - Contemporary Art Experiments; Denver, CO
"Women Artists Only" Ec-Lec-Tic Art - Contemporary Art Experiments; Denver, CO
11th Annual Oklahoma Artist's Workshop Juried Show; Tulsa, OK
Blue Valley & the Arts Home Tour & Fine Arts Show; Leawood, KS
Open Shows
October 2010—Autumn Art Fair at The Village at Uptown; Boulder, CO
Awards
Merit Award — "The Artists Choice" 2010 - Lakewood Arts Council; The Lakewood Cultural Center; Lakewood, CO
Merit Award — "The Artists Choice" 2009 - Lakewood Arts Council; The Lakewood Cultural Center; Lakewood, CO
Merit Award — Westminster Faire Art Show; Westminster, CO
Private Collections
Mr. & Mrs. Bryson W. Baum—Overland Park, KS
Don & Linda Childears—Denver, CO
Ms. Bonnie Geiger—Hilo, HI
Terri & Michael Kent—Greenwood Village, CO
Melanie & Kent Layton—Conifer, CO
Ms. Carol Mendenhall—Leawood, KS
Cheryl Nixon & Bill Balsam—Taos NM
Ms. Jenifer Waller—Denver, CO
Corporate Collections
Colorado Legislative Services, LLC; Denver, CO
Kansas City Women's Clinic; Overland Park, KS
Professional Affiliations
Abstract Artist Gallery— www.abstractartistgallery.org
ArtistsOnline.com— http://www.artistsonline.com/painting/style/abstract.htm
Boulder Arts Association
Boulder County Arts Alliance
DenverArtists.com— http://www.denverartists.com/members/DisplayArtistSingle.asp?ArtistID=1032
Education
Kansas City Art Institute, 1989-90
Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, 1975-77
Johnson County Community College, 1986-88
Workshops/Private Instruction
Daniel E. Greene —Roanoke, VA
Joan Potter —Taos, NM
Robert Vaughn —Overland Park, KS
Juried Exhibitions
2011
The "Women" Show, CORE New Art Space; Denver, CO
The Wide Open Whatever (WOW) Show; CORE New Art Space; Denver, CO
2010
"Midwest National Abstract Exhibition VI"; The Garfield Park Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN
"COLOR-ado !"; Chautauqua Community House, Boulder, CO
"All Colorado Show 2010", Depot Art Center & Gallery, Littleton, CO
"The Artist's Choice" Lakewood Arts Council; The Lakewood Cultural Center; Lakewood, CO
Wide Open Whatever (WOW) Show; CORE New Art Space; Denver, CO
2009 & Earlier
13th Annual "Lines into Shapes" National Art Show; Art Center of Estes Park; Estes Park, CO
"All Colorado Show 2009"; Depot Art Center & Gallery; Littleton, CO
"From the Garden" Lakewood Arts Council; LAC Community Art Center & Gallery; Lakewood, CO
"The Artist's Choice" Lakewood Arts Council; The Lakewood Cultural Center; Lakewood, CO
"Vistas" Lakewood Arts Council; LAC Community Art Center & Gallery; Lakewood, CO
Westminster Faire Art Show, Westminster, CO
"Art of the Absurd" Ec-Lec-Tic Art - Contemporary Art Experiments; Denver, CO
"Portraits, 'Scapes & Still Lifes" Ec-Lec-Tic Art - Contemporary Art Experiments; Denver, CO
"Women Artists Only" Ec-Lec-Tic Art - Contemporary Art Experiments; Denver, CO
11th Annual Oklahoma Artist's Workshop Juried Show; Tulsa, OK
Blue Valley & the Arts Home Tour & Fine Arts Show; Leawood, KS
Open Shows
October 2010—Autumn Art Fair at The Village at Uptown; Boulder, CO
Awards
Merit Award — "The Artists Choice" 2010 - Lakewood Arts Council; The Lakewood Cultural Center; Lakewood, CO
Merit Award — "The Artists Choice" 2009 - Lakewood Arts Council; The Lakewood Cultural Center; Lakewood, CO
Merit Award — Westminster Faire Art Show; Westminster, CO
Private Collections
Mr. & Mrs. Bryson W. Baum—Overland Park, KS
Don & Linda Childears—Denver, CO
Ms. Bonnie Geiger—Hilo, HI
Terri & Michael Kent—Greenwood Village, CO
Melanie & Kent Layton—Conifer, CO
Ms. Carol Mendenhall—Leawood, KS
Cheryl Nixon & Bill Balsam—Taos NM
Ms. Jenifer Waller—Denver, CO
Corporate Collections
Colorado Legislative Services, LLC; Denver, CO
Kansas City Women's Clinic; Overland Park, KS
Professional Affiliations
Abstract Artist Gallery— www.abstractartistgallery.org
ArtistsOnline.com— http://www.artistsonline.com/painting/style/abstract.htm
Boulder Arts Association
Boulder County Arts Alliance
DenverArtists.com— http://www.denverartists.com/members/DisplayArtistSingle.asp?ArtistID=1032
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