About...

Hello! I'm Ryan, a 32 year old self-taught artist. By self-taught, I mean self-taught! I've always wanted to attend a school for the arts but continually found myself side-tracked. I could never seem to find the time to attend even the simplest "How To Paint" class.

I joined the Navy and found myself working on computers which led me to find such programs as Photoshop and Painter. With those programs I realized I didn't need to learn how to handle paint, I could control it all with the click of a mouse or with a wacom tablet. After the Navy I went on to become a web site developer and a graphic artist.

For years my mother tried to get me to paint what I made on the computer, onto the canvas. Finally in October, 2004, I did. That's when I began selling my artwork on Ebay. Or rather, that's when my mother started putting my paintings up for auction! I was surprised when I started getting bids, and very pleased! Now I sell my paintings under my own ID, kilkenny_cats(formerly alberta_arts).

I've since found painting to be a very relaxing end to the crazy days with my 9 year old son, Tiarnan Smári, and my 5 year old daughter, Anna Siobhán. So every night after I've put them to bed, I start painting. I think it's a great way to end the day! My cat, Puddy, sits on the chair beside me and memories of past cats are with me as I paint. Most notably, my cat Rosebud who passed on in early 2005 at the age of 14. I love to mix my love of cats and antique furniture onto my paintings!

I'm now venturing in to the realm of primitive dolls. I've made 4 dolls so far and have had SO much fun creating them and their stories. I've also started making primitive ornies, which smell so unbelievably delicious! They're perfect for this time of year with the holidays coming up, or any time of year!

You can see some of the past paintings over in the "Paintings" section of my web site or view my current auctions here!

Be sure to check back to see what's new!