Featured – Page 3

Dinh – 30 x 22 inches – pen and ink drawing in five colors

November 14, 2013 By Mike Lyon

After a three-day karate special training, I asked one of my juniors, Dinh Hoang, if he would model for me. His eyes had ‘that look’ people get after hard practice, and I wanted to show that kind of metaphysical clarity. Details of completed drawing Details of work in progress

Carrie Robe – watercolors and inks on paper 77 x 44 inches

September 3, 2013 By Mike Lyon

I painted a large sheet of heavy watercolor paper with numerous layers of red, yellow, and blue pigments in water, then drew in black and white ink. I particularly like that one hand is drawn only with black and the other only with white while the interplay of the squiggly ink hatches recreate the illusion […]

Jill – 88 x 44 inches ink drawing and watercolor painting

April 30, 2013 By Mike Lyon

For my 61st birthday in June of 2012, my mother-in-law treated my family and me to dinner at the fabulous Rieger Hotel Restaurant. We were seated by a very tall and slender (and gorgeous) hostess who was showing a lot of tattoo ink. I said I would love for her to model for me and gave […]

Linda – 25 x 16 inch color pen and ink drawing

April 6, 2013 By Mike Lyon

I wanted to try to realize something closer to naturalistic color. I’d tested a Japanese pen (Pilot Choose) with pigmented inks which, unlike most pens I’ve tested, would continue to write until the ink was gone. These were advertised as permanent with excellent light-fastness. I needed to learn how the colors blended when overdrawn, so […]

Addy and Arthur – pen and ink drawing 81 x 44 inches

March 11, 2013 By Mike Lyon

March 11, 2013 I completed this drawing. I painted a large sheet of exceptionally heavy hot press watercolor paper with many layers of carbon black, yellow, blue, and magenta pigment. It produced a wonderful dotty grain and the color quality, though neutral, is so satisfyingly complex and varied. I began drawing Addy and Arthur. Arthur […]

Madeline and Kit – 88 x 43 inches pen and ink drawing on watercolor

March 4, 2013 By Mike Lyon

March 4, 2013 I completed a larger than life drawing over painting of my studio assistant, Madeline Cass, and her friend, Kit Landwehr. I drew the outlines of the color areas on the heavy drawing paper, then laid mylar over the drawing and hand-cut the color shapes with a sharp blade, being careful not to […]

Homespun Technology for SGC

January 29, 2013 By Mike Lyon

Erik Brunvand curated a Southern Graphics print exchange called “Homespun Technology” and asked me to send an edition of ‘prints’ (drawings with painting). In this portfolio the artists respond to the theme of “Homespun Technology” in both literal and thematic ways. Some use their own homespun technology in the production of their prints. Others use […]

Madeline Portraits – 20 x 33 inch ink drawings on watercolor

January 25, 2013 By Mike Lyon

In January, 2013, I made several portraits of Madeline, my studio assistant, looking to the Van Gogh self portrait dedicated to Gaugin.

King Size Four Poster Ball Bed for Andy

December 18, 2012 By Mike Lyon

I promised my wife Linda that I’d complete a king-size bed for Andy’s room before Andy and Lauren arrived home for Christmas. This was an interesting project. The idea was to make a mortise and tenon bed frame to support a plywood platform and memory-foam mattress – with fabulous stacked spherical posts. The spheres would […]

Maggie 85 x 44 inches watercolor and ink (pen and ink drawing)

November 25, 2012 By Mike Lyon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN30BRx25xY The inimitable Maggie Rose Mull “Let’s Fall in Love” ukulele style As Eric Fischl spoke at the opening of America Now and Here, a young woman in the crowd stood out as though haloed in sparkler-sparks. I asked my friend, Donald Rosenfeld, who is THAT girl? Don knew her and told me her name […]