Merriam Ryding, Searching for Beauty in a Broken World
Exhibition Runs July 7 through August 25, 2017
​Presented by the Olean Public Library and the Cattaraugus County Arts Council

Artist Statement:

​These paintings highlight the natural beauty of the Allegheny mountains and also search for glimpses of beauty (hope) in our built landscapes.

Natural beauty is easy to find here in the northern Alleghenies. It is our treasure, the beautiful façade we show off to visitors. There is brokenness as well, easily seen in fractured landscapes, shabby buildings, crumbling bridges, and neglected properties, all evidence of broken spirits and discouraged dreams.

I paint with paper and hot wax. Mixed media and encaustic are both mediums that allow me to explore the many layers of a landscape.