“What beauty is I know not. Though it adheres to many things.” – Albrecht Durer, artist.

When Picayune artist Ryan Luper was 14-years-old, his life took a dramatic twist after the untimely death of his mother, Sandra.
The Tylertown native said losing his mother was tough, but through his art, he honors the memory of the woman who inspired him to become an artist.
“My mom was an artist and I remember watching her sitting on the front porch and painting,” Luper said. “I began drawing in kindergarten and she always encouraged me.”
Luper said he grew up admiring the black and white photos in Time magazine and studying the work of German northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer.
One tool that Durer utilized was ink, Luper said.
“His wood engravings really stood out to me,” Luper said. “I draw in black and white with only the use of a Bic ballpoint pen. It has the best consistency and allows me to draw what I see. The black and white scale brings a lot of depth to my portraits.”
Luper said that by using only black and white he can express his feelings about the past and other emotions. Beautiful things come from black and greys, he said.
For Luper, the Bic pen never loses consistency so he can use it to create many shapes and shades, realism and reflections of light. He mainly draws portraits, images of families and movie art.
“I love drawing people,” Luper said. “I’m interested in individuals and I love the look they bring to a piece of paper. In a room full of color, the black and white portraits will stick out to you.”
Luper is a member of the Pearl River County Arts League and hopes to one day create a piece of art for residents of Picayune to enjoy. One of his main goals is to see his portraits hanging in art galleries in New Orleans.
“I can capture anything,” Luper said. “I see a lot of positive things in this community. It’s historical and family oriented and has good vibes. There are lots of interesting things here and the people have been so nice and I would love to do something in appreciation.”
Most days, Luper can be found drawing at Infused in Picayune. He works on current commissions and has plans to draw portraits of employees to be displayed in local businesses including Betty K’s and Frostop.
Luper said he also paints black and white pieces with oil and acrylic paints.
“Some people may think black and white is depressing, but when you bend the colors in the scale, you can make something unique,” Luper said. “I will continue to push myself to see how far I can go. My mom would be blown away and would love my work.”
Luper also works on commission and can be reached at 601-916-0005.