Biography
Sally Ryan began her art education with a Certificate in Graphic Design, completed in 1981, followed by a Diploma of Education. Sally worked as a teacher before marrying and starting a family.
Sally spent several years from 1998 – 2005 creating ceramic works inspired by time spent in Italy. She won several prizes in that medium and was commissioned to paint a number of commemorative plates for various institutions.
In 2008 she taught art at Sydney Grammar School. An increasing interest in portrait drawing and painting led her to enrol in part time classes at the Julian Ashton Art School and after winning a scholarship there for 2010, she has been studying and painting as a fulltime artist. Sally has a strong commitment to classical drawing and her work reflects a fine tuned sensitivity to the drama of light and shade, and the heightened effects of photorealism.
Sally Ryan at the PAA exhibition in Washington DC in 2014
Awards
2014 – Winner Kennedy Prize, Adelaide
2012 – Winner Still Life Section – Mortimore Prize, Dubbo
2011 – Winner Small Painting Section – Mortimore Prize, Dubbo
2011 – Highly Commended – Nora Heysen Still Life Centenary Award
2010 – Joshua Smith Prize for Classical Drawing (Julian Ashton)
2010 – Jocelyn Maughan Prize for Drawing Drapery (Julian Ashton)
2009- Winner Sydney Mechanics School of Arts Scholarship at Julian Ashton Art School
2009 – Winner People’s Choice Manly Selective School Art Exhibition
Selected Exhibitions
2014 – Semi-Finalist Doug Moran Portrait Prize
2014 – Shades of Reality – Group Exhibtion, Mary Place Gallery
2014 – PAA Multi-cultural Group Exhibition, Australian Embassy, Washington.
2014 – Journeys West, Group Exhibition, Orange Regional Gallery
2014 – Kennedy Prize, Adelaide
2013 – Finalist Archibald Portrait Prize
2013 – Finalist Black Swan National Portrait Prize
2013 – Shades of Reality – Group Exhibition, Mary Place Gallery
2013 – “Multi-Cultural Australia” PAA Exhibition, Parliament House, Sydney
2012 – Finalist – Doug Moran Portrait Prize, Moran House, Sydney
2012 – Finalist – Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize
2012 – Finalist – Shirley Hannan Portrait Prize, Bega Regional Gallery
2012 – Mortimore Prize, Dubbo
2012 – Portrait Artists Australia Ten Years – Book Launch exhibition, Art House Hotel
2011- Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize
2011 – Mortimore Prize, Dubbo
2011 – Nora Heysen Centenary Prize, Adelaide
2010- Finalist Portia Geach Memorial Award, S H Ervin Gallery, Sydney
2010 – Finalist Mortimore Prize in Drawing and Still Life Painting
2010 – Julian Ashton Art School Student and Teacher Exhibition
2009 – Manly Public School Art Exhibition
2009 – Julian Ashton Art School Student and Teacher Exhibition
2008 – Finalist portrait section – Mortimore Prize, Dubbo
Education
- 2008 – 2011- Part-time study at Julian Ashton Art School
- 2010- Fulltime scholarship student at Julian Ashton
- 2008- Summer Short Course at National Art School
- 2007- Winter course with Mignon Parker (Mixed Media) at Mitchell College, Bathurst
- 2005 – Diploma of Visual Art (Northbridge School of Visual Arts)
- 2001 – Product Certified Ceramist (practicing ceramic artist 1998-2005)
- 1993-4 – Life Drawing Willoughby Workshop Art Centre
- 1987 – Diploma of Education/Primary Teaching (Kuring-gai College Advanced Education), Teaching 1988-1991
- 1983 – Certificate Graphic Design (Randwick Technical College)