Ryn Clarke (b.1949)
Baby White Egret, 2020
Materials: Digital photographic composite on aluminum, Edition 4/5; 20” x 20”
Location: Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Tower, Summa Health Akron Campus (141 N. Forge St.), Blue Neighborhood, Fifth Floor, Hallway outside patient rooms H5-105 and H5-106
About the Artwork
Ryn Clarke’s Baby White Egret is part of a composite photography series that emerged from her daily walks during the 2020 pandemic. Capturing striking and often overlooked elements of the natural world with her digital camera, Clarke carefully reassembles these details into layered, dreamlike compositions.
Blue Butterfly, 2020
Materials: Digital photographic composite on aluminum, Edition 1/5; 20” x 20”
Location: Dr. Gary B. and Pamela S. Williams Tower, Summa Health Akron Campus (141 N. Forge St.), Fifth Floor Hallway, outside patient rooms H5-105 and H5-106
About the Artwork
Ryn Clarke’s Blue Butterfly is a masterfully composed digital photographic composite that transforms elements of the natural world into a vibrant, dreamlike scene. Dominated by blue and yellow, complementary colors that, when blended, create the rich greens of the landscape, this piece subtly explores color relationships while evoking a sense of harmony and abundance. Clarke’s selection of goldenrod, wild mustard, wild pea, and loosestrife further enhances this interplay of hues.
Though the composition appears to capture a spontaneous moment in nature, it is in fact a carefully constructed scene. Clarke digitally arranges each element, adjusting scale and focus to create a dynamic, immersive perspective. The butterflies, magnified in the foreground, draw immediate attention, their presence overshadowing the distant Great Blue Heron and the slow-moving caterpillar below. The contrast between familiar forms and unexpected proportions invites viewers to see nature from a new perspective.
At the heart of the composition, the Tiger Swallowtail, ironically not a true-blue butterfly, hovers mid-flight, encircled by a halo of delicate yellow flowers as it feeds on yellow loosestrife. Above it, a luminous blue butterfly with almost translucent wings floats, outlined in white, while another of its kind appears farther to the right. In the lower left corner, two tiny white butterflies, their wings subtly tinged with blue and orange, flutter among the meadow’s grasses and blossoms. Each individual element, every flower, blade of grass, and winged creature, originates from separate photographic captures, digitally woven together by Clarke to form this striking, seamless vision.
Through her masterful control of color, texture, scale, and depth, Clarke creates a vivid celebration of summer’s abundance, an image that shimmers with movement and life, preserving an ephemeral moment in a way that is both immersive and timeless.
Zinnia and Butterfly, 2020
Materials: Digital photographic composite on aluminum, 36" x 36"
Location: Juve Family Behavioral Health Pavilion, Summa Health Akron Campus, 2nd Floor, Southwest Hallway, End Wall Outside Office P1
About the Artwork
Ryn Clarke’s digital photographic compositions transform everyday moments into immersive, dreamlike experiences. Zinnia and Butterfly captures the fleeting beauty of nature with a sense of wonder that suggests something beyond reality. A brilliant yellow-orange zinnia appears to sway in anticipation, its petals slightly lifted as if welcoming the butterfly gliding toward it. The delicate balance between flower and winged visitor creates a moment of quiet harmony, as if nature itself is choreographing their interaction.
Then we take a step back, and the scene shifts. The zinnia and butterfly are unexpectedly oversized, towering over a field of much smaller yellow blossoms. Dozens of tiny golden butterflies, mirroring the hues of the central pair, flutter around, creating an almost magical effect. The artist plays with scale and focus, making these miniature elements seem like glowing particles drifting from the zinnia and butterfly into the air, suspended in motion, as if something just beyond our understanding is unfolding.
Clarke’s artistry lies in her ability to compose these enchanting scenes from real-world photographs. Captured on her walks through northeastern Ohio, each element in her images is carefully selected and digitally recomposed into new, evocative compositions. Much like a collage, her process layers meaningful fragments into a larger visual narrative. Using digital imaging and photo-editing techniques, she constructs a world that blends memory, observation, and imagination, preserving not just a scene but a feeling. Printed on aluminum, Zinnia and Butterfly shimmers with a vibrancy that invites the viewer to pause, reflect, and step into the moment.
About the Artist
Photographer Ryn Clarke creates intricate digital composites, fantasy-like images built from elements she captures with her camera and transforms through digital techniques. By layering and manipulating individual photographic components, she constructs visually striking compositions that extend beyond traditional photography.
Where to See More of this Artists Work
Clarke’s work is featured in the collections of prominent institutions and corporations, including Summa Health, University Hospitals, Southwest General, the Cuyahoga County Building, and major companies such as Eaton, General Electric, and Nordson Corporation. Her photographs are also displayed in restaurants such as Michael Symon’s Roast in Detroit and CRU Uncorked in Moreland Hills. She exhibits regularly across Northeast Ohio, as well as in Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, and Texas, and has shown with Cleveland’s Bonfoey Gallery.
To explore more of her work, including additional composite pieces, visit her website, where her photography is categorized by themes and commissions. Clarke also shares her insights in interviews and podcasts where she discusses her creative process.
The Healing Arts at Summa Health
