In 1994, after a decade of working in textiles and printmaking, Beverly Ryan began painting in search of a more direct and spontaneous expression of her ideas. She has worked in acrylic on paper and canvas and more recently in oil on canvas and wooden panels. Her interest in creating rich surfaces has also led her to paint with encaustic. Ryan creates expressionistic figurative work and complex abstracted forms in her paintings. Her work is known for its imaginative subject matter and colorful, painterly surfaces.

Beverly Ryan grew up in Shippensburg, PA. She holds an MS degree from Columbia University and a BA from Franklin and Marshall College. She has also studied at the Corcoran College of Art and Design. Ryan maintains a studio at the Torpedo Factory Art Center and teaches at The Art League School in Alexandria, VA.