Ruth's World

Below is a list of the Top 10 most expensive paintings sold at either public auctions or private sales. 1. $250 million - Paul Cézanne - The Card Players, 1892/93 A private sale bought by the Royal family of Qatar. This is the last version of this famous composition still in private hands. There are four other 'Card Players' in the series and are held in famous museums around the world. 2. $140 million - Jackson Pollock - Number 5, 1948 Painted in Expressionist Jackson Pollock's trademark 'drip' style, its buyer is unconfirmed but is rumoured to have been purchased by mexican businessman, David Martinez or hedge fund billionaire, Steven A.Cohen. 3. $137.5 million - Willem de Kooning - Woman III, 1952/53 This painting is the only 'woman' painting in private hands and was bought by the hedge fund billionaire, Steven A.Cohen, who bought it direct from the entertainment magnate and megacollector, David Geffen. 4. $135 millio

I've stepped away from my half finished painting and am back in Family Tree mode this week, so... This is my Great Grandfather, Michael O'Ryan, born in 1895, with his daughters, my grandmother Angela on the left (his right) and her sister Doreen. He also had three more daughters; Philie, Eileen and Nancy. He also had one son, Sonny (Senan) but he got pneumonia at 13 months old and died. My grandmother said that his fever had just broken late at night when the doctor finally arrived and told Mamma Ryan to keep him warm. But one of the woman who had come to help her out decided to give the child a wash "to freshen him up" and by morning when the doctor arrived again he was dead. He said the child died as a direct result of the wash, if that's even possible?...but that's what he said. This photo was taken around 1932 in Lahinch, Co.Clare, Ireland and was probably one of those occasions when he stole himself away from his attic studio for a bit of family