Check Out Ryan Wiese’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Wiese.

Hi Ryan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was raised in Michigan by a family of artists and builders, I learned early on the value of craftsmanship, creativity and working with my hands—watching my mom paint and working with my dad on construction projects. My Mom taught me how to sew clothing as well as complete craft projects like cross-stitch and latch hook. I was also lucky to get to spend a great deal of time with all of my grandparents and my grandmothers were always sharing craft projects with my sisters and I. All of this played a big role in me learning and loving to create things with my hands.

I studied apparel design at MSU and after moving to Boulder, I worked at HIND on their product development team for a few years. This was short lived as I shifted at this point to building a glass jewelry line with one of my sisters. We made glass beads and turned those into jewelry that was sold around the country in galleries and museum gift shops. This experience of melting and shaping glass and getting to layer hundreds of colors turned out to be an invaluable guide for me as I began painting.

Since 2005, acrylic painting has been at the center of my practice. I enjoy creating vibrant minimalist paintings. In recent years, sculpture has also become a fun extension of my work. My mixed-media sculptures have expanded the language of my paintings into physical space. Including glass in some of my sculptural work has been a full-circle moment—one that reconnects me to the sense of discovery I first felt with glass over two decades ago.

My work blends bold color, organic form, and a tactile sensitivity to materials. With a clean, playful sensibility, I create vibrant paintings alongside sculptures made from up-cycled wood and layers of transparent glass and acrylic. I’m influenced by the quiet patterns of nature—rippling water, stunning landscapes and shifting light.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of my biggest struggles was finding my voice and confidence as an artist. I feel like there were many years of pressing and pressing to create pieces that excited me and working to figure out how to get all the cool ideas in my head to actually feel relevant once they were on canvas.

The other large struggle was health related. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2008 and struggled a lot with side effects of that on and off over the next 10 years. I have learned a lot and still work to manage this, but I’m in a way better position with it now and feel really great!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My primary focus is vibrant minimalist paintings and in the last year I’ve also started creating mixed media sculptures. I’m most know for fun, vibrant color combinations. I paint in all sizes, nut especially love the impact I can create with larger canvases. I’m continually inspired by the incredible work of Clyfford Still! We’re so lucky to have his work housed in a dedicated museum locally.

I’m most proud when I hear compliments that my work feels unique and playful, fun or up-lifting.
My work is set apart by my willingness to use color combinations that aren’t the norm or “safe”

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was extremely shy around adults. I found my “voice” in creating things with my mom, dad and by myself. I also had a ton of energy as a kid and loved being active. I grew up near a state park in MI and rode my bike a lot with friends. I eventually got into sports like soccer, cross country and track and eventually fell deeply in love with volleyball and played on the MSU men’s volleyball team. Sports really gave me confidence socially. I balanced these activities with lots of creative time, building models, playing with erector sets and sewing. My Mom taught me how to sew when I was in middle school and I’d make shorts for myself out of all sort of different colored fabrics.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://RyanWiese.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanlwiese
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryan.wiese.180
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ryan-wiese-1875713

Image Credits
Images by Drew Austin, courtesy of the Dairy Arts Center