There’s a quote often attributed to George Eliot that says, “It’s never too late to be what you might have been,” and Linda Ryder is the quintessential example of this truth. About a decade ago, Ryder, a hair stylist by trade, had a client in her chair—a friend who was an artist—and as they chatted, Ryder remarked, “I wish I could paint.” The client was quick to say, “You can paint.”

Never one to shy away from a challenge or from learning a new skill, Ryder began taking lessons from the aforementioned friend, renowned Nantucket artist, Julie Gifford. The pair would meet once a week and it wasn’t long before Ryder became completely preoccupied. She shares, “Every breathing moment I have, I want to paint. When I first started painting, I couldn’t sleep at night or if I did, I was thinking about painting. I couldn’t shut my brain off from thoughts of painting,” 

When she told her family she was adding another layer to her already full list of interests and responsibilities, a few were concerned that it would simply be too much. Ryder’s response? “I have one lifetime and I’m going to do as much with it as I can possibly do.”

Like so many who have grown up on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket, an appreciation and respect for the beautiful, natural surroundings is ingrained at a young age. A native of Nantucket (now a Cape resident) Ryder grew up riding horses all over the island, exploring and cherishing her coastal environment, but it wasn’t until she began painting that she believes her senses were even further heightened. “I think I was always creative, and I always appreciated the beauty of Nantucket, but I don’t think I realized how many dimensions there are to color—and now that I paint, that’s all I think about are the colors,” she effuses.

She credits the vast local art community with not only embracing her but giving her the encouragement and confidence to take leaps of faith in her journey. Through classes taken at the Cape Cod Art Association she has met other artists and formed a special bond; women like Julie Gifford, Mary Moquin, Jessica Manning Hammel, Syd Hale and Pam Williams, with whom she gets together regularly for fellowship and maybe even a glass of wine. “We all do different things as painters which is really fun when we get together and show our pieces. It was overwhelming at first because I was an amateur sitting in a group of professionals. I had to understand how to take critique and that is a learning process. I have great respect for these women,” Ryder professes. 

With some years of painting under her belt and the bolstered courage gained from her supportive community, Ryder reached out to a select few refined businesses to carry her work, like Nantucket Looms on her hometown isle, and Coastal Style in Osterville. For the third year in a row, she will be participating in Osterville Arts at The Museum, sponsored by the Osterville Historical Museum. Ryder’s craft is ever evolving, and that challenge is one of the many aspects of being an artist that she enjoys. “I may change a painting 10 times before I’m finished with it,” she says, “I will take one and turn it around or lean it up against a wall and leave it for months while I work on other paintings—until I’m in the mood to revisit it and tackle it again.” Ryder takes great pleasure, even wells up, when reflecting on her commissioned work as the pieces she’s been requested to create are always subjects that are deeply significant to her clients, noting, “It’s very special to be trusted with these things.” 

When she isn’t painting, she can also be found at her hair salon, Art of Hair, in the Mashpee Commons, or busy in her other roles as mother, wife and grandmother. Ryder pays it forward as she fully supports anyone who seeks her advice, and counsels that it’s never too late to try something new. 

Find work from Linda Ryder at Nantucket Looms on Nantucket, Coastal Style on Main Street in Osterville or through the artist’s website lindaryderart.com.