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DANIEL RYAN

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his past year has been a particularly devastating year for nearly extinct wildlife. Cecil, a male Southwest African lion, was killed by a sports hunter and Nola, one of the last four Northern White Rhinos in the world, died after being treated for bacteria.

Thankfully social media platforms rapidly spread this alarming news. In 2015 Cecil and Nola quickly became household names and much attention was brought to wildlife conservation.

However, we must all realize preservation

takes more than just a few “likes” online. Artist Daniel Ryan, an avid outdoorsman and animal lover, has taken a personal vow to help with these issues and decided to get up close with his artwork.

The subjects of Ryan’s most recent works have been chosen based on his interest in preservation. The resulting paintings are as universally inspiring as they are beautiful in their colorful backgrounds and masterful pointillism.

Gorillas, elephants, lions, and many other majestic creatures take center stage in Daniel’s work. His labor-intensive process behind each piece involves up to over 60 hours. Thankfully each one has contributed to his cause as local and national foundations have begun to take notice as well.

In October of last year, one of Daniel’s

pieces Quiet Contemplation was donated to the Gorilla Doctors foundation for their silent auction. The following month, he teamed up

24 OFF THE EASEL MAGAZINE – WINTER 2016

FEA TURE