Meet the Artist: Linda Ryan

Aiming to capture the peace and serenity of Northeast Ohio.

"My husband, Bob, and I have lived in Russell Township for the past 42 years. Our son, Bob Jr., and his wife, Allison, live in Akron awaiting the birth of their first child. We have always loved to travel, and have had the opportunity to explore and adventure in many different parts of the world. As a child I was very fortunate to live with my family in New York, California, the Bahamas, Paris, and London, before moving to Cleveland. I was able to not only experience diverse cultures, but also to see many different geographical wonders.

Our travel have been side-lined for many years, and although I have missed it, the upside has been to spend more time focusing on the beauty and diversity of Northeast Ohio. While we do not have spectacular mountains or scenes of powerful oceans, we do have an understated, peaceful environment which is what I aim to capture in my photographs.

Being in nature is an integral part of my life, and we should not take for granted the green spaces we have in Northeast Ohio. Each of the many parks, preserves, and conservancies offer something new. Serenity is always there if we can slow down long enough to appreciate it. A lyric from a Zac Brown song pretty much sums it up for me, "If you're too busy talking, you're not busy listening to hear what the land has to say".

My photographs have been taken with either an Android or iPhone 8 plus. During the enlargement process the pixilation can slightly alter the color, however, the people who help me with the enlargements try to stay as close to the original color as possible. I don't enjoy photoshop because I think it is difficult to improve on Nature's beauty.

My work has been displayed at the Geauga Parks Nature & Arts Festival, The Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Imagery Fine Arts, and the Geauga Arts Council Juried Show in 2021. I hope that you enjoy my photographs as much as I have loved taking them. To quote Zac Brown again, "Soak it all in. Enjoy the ride."