[To view a sampling of Jack Van Ryder's works, click here]

The biography of
jack van ryder
(American 1898 - 1968)

Born near Tucson, Arizona, Van Ryder, at the age of 11, ran away from home and got a job on a Nevada cattle ranch. He nevertheless became a traditional western painter, etcher and illustrator. Although Van Ryder was a self-taught artist, it has been said that he was a pupil of Charles Russell while he (Van Ryder) was in Montana as a cow hand.

In 1926, while looking for a new line of work, Van Ryder was hired by the Mack Sennett studio to paint backdrops in Hollywood. It was at this time that he decided to take up art on a more serious level.

During WWII, he served under General Claire Chennault in China; and he was active in the Civil Air Patrol from 1940 on.

His paintings, drawings and etchings nearly always tell a story about (or depict) Arizona. Typical subjects are ranch life and landscapes around the Tucson area. He was a Member of the Society of Illustrators, and he exhibited throughout Arizona.

To view a sampling of his works, click here