Claudia Ryan was born in Washington, D.C., in 1952. She received a Certificate of Fine Art, from the California Institute of the Arts (1984), a BFA from the Ringling College of Art and Design (2002), and an MFA from the University of South Florida (2006).
She explains her artistic approach as follows: “I don’t start out with a final image in mind. I work until something comes out. I get anxious, so I do something. I have a lot of nervous energy, and painting calms me. I feel happiest in my studio. I imagine I am listening to the world and the world is listening back. I am inspired by the knowledge that every person carries within herself a history that is oceanic in nature. I am drawn more to my own private world.”
She has exhibited in many solo and group exhibitions, and she has received several awards including “Best of the Bay in Drawing,” Creative Loafing, Tampa, Florida (2007). Her work is in numerous museum and private collections.
