RYAN JENSEN
ARTIST BIO
Ryan Jensen, born in the San Francisco Bay Area, is an award winning oil painter known for his brushwork and the way he handles light. One of Jensen's earliest memories are of his father, a painter, and his mother, a graphic designer, arched together over a drafting board in their in-home studio, a memory which led him to becoming a professional artist later in life. At age twenty-one, Jensen chose to pursue a career in the United States Marine Corps and subsequently served eight years, with three combat tours to both Iraq and Afghanistan. His time in the Marine Corps gave him crucial life experiences that helped him "see the world through a different lens." After being honorably discharged, Jensen changed course and returned to school, majoring in Fine Arts. Now as an accomplished artist, Jensen finds inspiration in the coastal atmosphere of Northern California. He enjoys focusing on subtle details in his daily life such as the play of light and shadows and combinations of complimentary colors and shapes.
CURATOR'S COMMENTS
Ryan Jensen is a phenomenon. With tens of thousands of Instagram followers, obviously I am not the only one fascinated by this phenomenon. I had the opportunity to watch Ryan in action when I asked for a few big paintings, and he offered to paint three 5-foot by 9-foot canvases here in Arroyo Grande. Painting in my studio, Ryan created three masterful works.
Many people get to watch Ryan paint during the many plein air competitions he attends, often walking away with ribbons and prize money. Ryan attacks his canvas with bravado and speed. He will often use acrylic to fill the canvas with abstract color and texture before he starts. Painting over what seems like a completed abstract painting creates opportunities for those “happy accidents” that a painter treasures. This process helps Ryan start a dialogue with the painting itself, working the whole canvas, adding and subtracting. The result is a loose painting best seen from a distance that is rich in color and texture.
Follow this phenomenon: Ryan is going places.