PAUL RYDING
From:
LONDON
United Kingdom
More:
Artist Info
From a very early age, all I have ever wanted to do is live the “starving artists lifeâ€. After graduating in 2003 from the Glasgow School Of Art, I decided I had to get a soul destroying day-job like the rest of my peers. I then found myself living the “frustrated artists life†which is the harsh reality to staying true to your craft. I found that by having a dead end job, it would keep me driven and motivated to establish myself as a working artist. I have worked as a bar tender, gallery assistant, cinema usher, receptionist, security guard, waiter and file clerk all of which are some of the best lines of employment to get into if you want to further your dreams. It took several years of hard work, constant emailing and various changes in style and technique to finally achieve a recognisable aesthetic and also getting paid for my efforts. I noticed the change when I took up screenprinting and sold prints in limited editions through several galleries. As I was still aiming at the illustration and publishing market, I was offered several commissions but ultimately the 2 day deadline was impossible to meet with the long and often black art that is printmaking. By using the same fields of flat color and layering techniques I had learnt from screenprinting, I started to encorporate my first love of detailed pencil drawing to create what is now the majoirty of my portfolio. Aside from exhibitions, I have had a varied amount of experience through commissioned work from painting a portrait of Daniel Johnston on the back of a bus (who dropped by to have a look and shake my hand) to building a considerable client list such as The Guardian, Nylon Magazine, Howies and working for M&C Saatchi and Kesselskramer. I have since moved to London where there are opportunities round every corner, great cycle lanes, excellent Vietnamese food and an Art & Design scene that is yet untouched by the Global Finacial Crisis (yet).
