Susan Ryder, Artist - Welcome
My father was an amateur painter, so I borrowed his oil paints from the age of 13. He was my greatest influence with his love of the Impressionists and then I discovered Vermeer and Vuillard through my inspirational art school teacher Bernard Dunstan RA. I studied at the Byam Shaw School of Painting in London from 1960 – 64 and was elected a member of the New English Art Club and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. I was Vice President of The RP from 2002 to 2008.
Portrait painting is thrilling and totally absorbing but I do find listening and chatting an important part of the process. I particularly like painting my sitters in a setting, be it a lamplit interior, outside with a dog or whatever captures them. I love painting portraits but it was as a landscape painter that I received my first award and my one man shows often feature paintings of interiors.
A book about me was launched at my private view at Panter and Hall
“Looking Through” by Alex Leith
The book is available to buy at:
Mainstreet Trading
Amazon and
Waterstones.
I have work for sale
with Panter and Hall, London SW1, the NEAC website, The Jerram Gallery, Sherborne and
Sarah Samuels Tel: 07854 490 220.
My next exhibition, shared with Diana Calvert NEAC and Annabel Gosling is at Island Fine Art in May 2026.
My next solo exhibition will be with
Panter and Hall, Pall Mall, London
in Autumn 2027.
I have been commissioned to paint a wide range of people, most notably in 1981, commissioned by the then Prince of Wales, H.R.H. The Princess of Wales in her wedding dress and in 1997, H.M.The Queen, to celebrate the Royal Automobile Club’s Centenary. Although, as you can see from this site, most of my portraits are of less well known people. My Interiors are mostly sold at exhibitions – either with the New English Art Club or through other galleries and dealers. My London gallery is Panter and Hall where I hold solo exhibitions every four years – “Lamplight and Flowers” in 2016, “Looking Through” in 2020 and my last solo exhibition “Touched by Light” was 9th – 25th October 2024. My next solo exhibition with Panter and Hall will be in Autumn 2027.
To buy one of my Interiors or landscapes or to commission one of your own, visit the Contacts page. To see where my work is exhibited visit the Links page.
My prices for commissioned portraits range from £5,000 to £12,000 (depending on size) and for commissioned interiors from £3000 (depending on size). I would need approximately three sittings and I enjoy travelling to paint people in their own homes.
I am married to Martin Bates and I divide my time between London and Scotland.
If you want to discuss the possibility of commissioning a portrait. Visit the Contact page to see how I can be reached.
