About the Juror

Ryan M. Reynolds is a Bay Area painter whose work explores the intersection of place, perception, and personal experience. Drawing from the visual character of Northern California, Reynolds creates paintings that balance atmosphere, color, and gesture with a contemporary sensibility. His work reflects an ongoing interest in the ways landscapes and everyday surroundings can carry memory, emotion, and a sense of belonging.

Reynolds earned his Master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley. His academic career has included serving as an Associate Professor of Art and Art History at Santa Clara University, where he also serves as Chair of the Department. His work is held in numerous private and public collections nationally and internationally. He is represented by b. sakata garo Gallery- Sacramento, Andra Norris Gallery- Burlingame, and Sue Greenwood Gallery- Laguna Beach.

Juror’s Statement: Living Water

The biblical phrase “living water” carries a rich and enduring symbolism. In Scripture, water represents life, renewal, cleansing, transformation, and spiritual sustenance. In the Gospel of John, Christ speaks of “living water” as something that can become a source of life within us—an image that extends beyond the physical world into the realms of faith, spirit, and human experience.

As juror for this exhibition, I approached the artwork with the idea that Living Water need not be interpreted literally. I was interested in works that engage with the many meanings water can hold: as a source of life, a force of nature, a symbol of change, a place of reflection, or a metaphor for spiritual and emotional renewal.

In selecting the work, I considered how effectively each piece communicates a sense of movement, transformation, depth, and connection. I looked for artwork that invited contemplation rather than simply illustrating the theme—works in which the idea of water might be visible, implied, remembered, or felt.

I was particularly drawn to artists who brought their own experiences and perspectives to the theme. Some works speak directly to water and its physical presence, while others explore ideas of thirst, abundance, surrender, purification, rebirth, and the passage from one state of being to another.

Ultimately, the selected works reflect the breadth of what Living Water can mean. Together, they create a conversation between the tangible and the spiritual, the natural and the human, the visible and the unseen.

It is my hope that viewers will encounter these works not only as interpretations of a biblical phrase, but as invitations to consider their own sources of renewal and what it means to be sustained, transformed, and made alive.