Deanna Cowan Cryan was born in Mt. Vernon, Wash. She studied art and interior design at Western Washington University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1980. She continued her painting studies at the Danforth Museum School in Framingham Mass., studying with Martha Oldham. The past few years have been spent studying the art of portrait painting. Toward that end, she has taken several workshops with noted portrait artists Marvin Mattelson, Casey Baugh, and Eli Cedrone.
Deanna's subject matter includes still life, portrait and landscape. She paints landscapes to evoke memories of places that are universal. Her portraits are meant to describe an emotion as well as a person. The rich color and texture of oil paints give a language to her thoughts on healing, spirituality and timelessness. Deanna was a member of the Holliston Mills Artists from 2005-2007, and she currently paints out of her studio in Needham, Mass. Her work has been in juried shows at the Center for the Arts in Natick, Mass., and the Danforth Museum Members' Show. Her works were featured in the Junior League Showhouse of Boston in 1999-2004. Her paintings are in private collections throughout the United States.
Deanna is a member of the Portrait Society of America and the Massachusetts chapter of the Portrait Society of America.