Meet Ryan Foley | Digital Artist and Print Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Foley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
As an artist, the lines between what constitutes my work as passion and/or business are a bit blurred. I’ve found that as I evolve my ability to create images of what I love and enjoy, and satisfy my own desire of filling my own home and space with said images, there’s a coinciding urge to share that outcome with others. This, I believe, is the most important factor in finding success; retaining that initial intent to meet my own satisfaction and goals, and after achieving that, to be able to share and extend that upon others.

Currently, I’m primarily a digital artist. I refer to my work as paintings, despite them being done digitally, because they are all grounded in the theory, practice, and process of painting. I’ve done most of my current paintings on an iPad, which I bring outside to capture real landscapes and scenes that strike me. I create prints of these from a large-scale printer, matching the quality that I see on the screen, and frame the results. The process of doing so blends two passions of mine; the appreciation of nature, and painting. I paint for myself first and foremost. The urge to begin a painting always comes as a surprise; it could spur from seeing a grand view of a mountain range, a row of trees alongside a path, a single fallen leaf, a rock in a certain time of day – whatever it may be, the sight of something beautiful will always strike me in an instant, and that’s when I know what to paint. Sometimes I’ll begin a new painting as soon as I finish another, or weeks may pass before I’m stricken by a new scene to paint, but nonetheless, the paintings I consider successful in the end are always done according to this experience.

With all that said, what follows is my brand and success. I consider my brand to be the style of how my paintings turn out. Style is not something I have planned out or forced upon my images, but rather it’s the result of the continuation of painting as a joy and passion. As long as I paint according to how I enjoy it for myself, the style of my images will always be unique to the aspects of my personality and reflect those qualities. As long as I stick true to myself and paint accordingly, a signed “Foley” will always look like a “Foley”. I often joke about the unavoidable cartoonish quality of my paintings, which, despite them all being grounded in depicting a real scene, comes from growing up and appreciating certain things such as animation, video games, and toys. As vigilant as I may be in realistically painting a cactus, it will always end up with that cartoonish edge. Success, I believe, develops on the same side of this coin. As long as I continue to stay true to myself and enjoy painting what I consider beautiful, then my ability improves, and so does my success. If I can look at a finished painting and appreciate it as an accomplishment of beauty, then it is something of worth to be shared. At that point, my success is in the hands of others, in whether they enjoy it in the same way or not. If I’m creating good work while consistently improving upon it, success will build upon itself as a snowball gains snow as it rolls.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In their finished state, the images I create appear simple – an image of a scene – maybe there’s a person, a plant, a collection of objects – anything that struck me in a fascinating way at the time. But behind the image is a process of painting that has developed by following a long-running path of theory and practice, and continues to evolve and improve in capturing the scenes that strike my interest. That process is what keeps me dedicated to creating works of art. Everything I seek to portray is tied to an appreciation of nature. When first learning to use a medium, like paint for example, there is difficulty in figuring out how to transfer what is being seen onto the canvas. That process is tied up with theory and practice, and once thoroughly thought out and executed again and again, it becomes a second nature. Every painting starts in an intimidating way, but in each consecutive attempt to capture a new scene, I find that window into painting as second nature becomes smaller. That’s when painting is a joy – when I can paint what I see without thinking anymore. I’ve recently enjoyed making art digitally on an iPad, and using a large-scale printer to make prints to frame for myself and others. It’s a great modern medium that allows me to tie together my passion for art and the outdoors. Sitting for a day on the rim of the Grand Canyon, iPad in hand, is a great way to spend a day as an artist. Art is interesting in this way – it goes from curiosity, to difficulty, and then rests in a sort of peace. Challenge always presents itself in a new painting, which is excitement, and to overcome that is satisfaction, which is in my experience, joy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Tucson, Arizona has been my place of residence for the past decade. Of everywhere I’ve lived, it’s become the place that I never tire of giving praise. In the city itself, there’s plenty to do and see, as it’s filled with local restaurants, breweries, parks, and entertainment. Though, if I were to introduce Tucson to anyone, I’d start with the outdoors, as I think Southwestern Arizona is a uniquely beautiful place in its seasons, vegetation, and climate. A drive up Mt. Lemmon within the Catalina Mountains, which takes under an hour from the center of the city, goes from saguaro cacti spotting the bottom, to aspen trees at the top. There’s great hikes and spots in between, of such different climates, that anyone who hasn’t been before would never expect from below. Sabino Canyon, at the foothills of the Catalinas, showcases more of what’s expected of the region – cacti, canyons, streams, and when monsoon season is in full effect, waterfalls too. It’s welcoming and accessible, making for a great day outside. I’d also recommend Saguaro National Park – there are two, on both ends of the city, and are densely spotted with saguaro cacti, and known for their scenic sunsets.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve always watched my brother paint throughout his life – and joined him in doing so later in my life – so I owe a lot to him in developing myself as a painter. David Foley (Instagram – @dezrtdav), an incredible painter and brother.

Website: www.RyanFoleyArt.com

Instagram: RyanFoleyArt