About the Artist

Rylan Love (born 1984 in Jacksonville, Florida, United States) is a self-taught contemporary oil painter and graphite artist based in Waynesville, North Carolina.

Working primarily in oils, Rylan brings together expressive impressionism and whimsical surrealism. His recent practice places particular emphasis on oil paintings on copper or aluminum, incorporating the metal’s warmth and reflective qualities into scenes shaped by light and atmosphere.

Rylan’s work explores storytelling, memory, and transformation through landscapes and figurative imagery. Drawing on places he has lived or visited, he combines observed scenery with imagined subjects to transport viewers into another time, place, or world.

His approach draws on the painting traditions of the Old Masters and the visual storytelling of atmospheric cinema: even the impossible must feel believable enough to draw viewers into the story.

Personal experiences inform themes of hope, turmoil, and human connection, giving difficult emotions a visible form through beautiful imagery. Traditional painting techniques and contemporary elements contribute to images that invite curiosity, close looking, and personal interpretation.

Each piece holds a story, while leaving viewers room to discover their own.

Rylan’s artworks are held in private collections.