Check Out Ryan Kindseth’s Story

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

Hi Ryan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew a love for oil painting back in 2017, coming off a drawing background. My parents are a dentist and dental hygienist, but had a sticker business as a side hobby while I was growing up. I was surrounded by drawing and started drawing at a young age. I didn’t think I would move towards a career in art, as I loved being active and dreamt of becoming a professional soccer player. That ended up not being my calling regardless of me continuing to play throughout college and in Sunday leagues within Los Angeles. I was picking up my art passion more in college, drawing on water jugs, portraits of my roommates, and dabbling more in art. Following my business degree, I bought an iPad Pro and fell in love with the drawing tablet, rekindling my love for art. I started experimenting with color and picked up some old acrylics around the house. Even though I enjoyed painting and felt I had a natural inclination to color, I knew I needed to learn oil painting. That’s when I signed up for a workshop at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art.

When I took my first Zorn Palette figure painting workshop at LAAFA, I was hooked. From that moment on, I have been fine tuning my craft and finding my voice. I went from painting pets, people, celebrities, to even moving into Live Wedding Paintings. My techniques come from an Alla Prima background, studying Richard Schmid’s work and teaching and working under talented painters including Kai Lun Qu and Michelle Dunaway. Today, you will find me experimenting with color, scenic paintings, and painting models from life.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been the easiest of roads. While I continued to learn my craft, I was always working a full time job. I moved to Los Angeles with about two months worth of rent, got a job at Enterprise Rent-a-Car and worked my way up to becoming Assistant Branch Manager. During these 60+ hour weeks, I would drive an hour on Wednesday’s to get to the Valley and paint. Outside of my full time job becoming a District Sales Manager for a Consumer Packaged Goods company, moving into dental tech, I am always fine tuning my craft and working on developing my techinique and finding my voice.

I have sacrificed many events and felt I even stopped enjoying going out and nightlife so I can make time for my passion. At one point in my career, I was laid off and out of a job, this was where I rebranded myself and went head first into art. Although I continued to make some revenue, I needed to reinvest back into my business. This meant that I knew this is a long game for me to become an artist who has made a name for himself. I am willing to be patient as I develop as an artist to one day become who I feel I truly was meant to be.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an oil painter who specializes in portraits, figurative, and scenic work. I paint at live events for 8+ hours at a time, capturing couples at weddings as well. I am most proud of the fact that continues to drive my career in art is the sole purpose of wanting to get better in advancing my craft and sharing my voice.

What sets me apart from others is I am not afraid. I am not afraid to experiment, I am not afraid to put myself out there, I am not afraid to seek guidance. I am not afraid to start a painting or finish one, I am comfortable listening to myself to trust my gut. If I ever feel like I forgot my learnings, I know I can rely on my instincts.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes me happy is living my life with my loved ones, experiencing life without holding back, and to create. As humans, we are special because we create. While I love to consume and be inspired by books, theater, shows, movies, other artists, technology, and more. There is something special about creating on your own. I love to stay active in fitness, play soccer, rock climb, and exceed my limits. In the heart of my sole, I feel an urge to create.

Pricing:

• Live Wedding Painting – Starting at $1,600
• Pet Portraits – Starting at $400
• Custom Work – Please inquire

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ryankindsethart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryankindsethart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryankindsethart
• Twitter: https://x.com/artkindseth
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ryankindsethart
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryankindsethart

Image Credits
All taken by me (Ryan Kindseth)