‘Artists can paint about their own lives while touching the world.'
Artists can distil time and space so that it is ever ready for the viewer to return to over and over again, often seeing more each time.
Ellen Starr Lyon is a figurative artist working from the Midwest, USA. Family members often appear as muses to explore her themes, the artist also explores self-portraiture. Whilst painting what is familiar to her, Ellen hopes to connect to universal feelings, a perception of what it is to be human. Her paintings also explore an interplay between light and the shadows that form on skin and textures.
Where is your current studio? What would be your dream studio?
Currently, my studio is in my home. In a practical sense, this is great because it allows me to work every day and to be accessible to my family (I have two teenage children). My dream studio would be a separate building but still on my property. A quiet, sun-drenched, private space that I could fill with music, work with models and avoid distractions.
Do you prefer to work in silence or does certain music inspire you?
It depends on what is going on around me. My studio is in the middle of a busy household, if its quiet I will often listen to music and podcasts but if house is bustling with teenagers and all their ambient music and sounds, I’ll keep mine off.
Studio life can lead to isolation, how do you address this/ keep a balance?
I do feel isolated but not from family and friends because my studio is in my home but I do feel isolated from other artists. To counter that I put time into artist relationships whether other local artists or artists I’ve met online. I find we all need that support.
Describe a moment you had an epiphany concerning your creative life.
I had an epiphany just a few years ago and it hit me like a ton of bricks! I had been focusing on still life painting while I raised children. As they aged into high school, I had more bandwidth to reconsider what I was painting. I went back to figure drawing sessions on campus with a friend. I had painted the figure when I earned my BFA years ago but hadn’t done it in almost two decades! Once I started again it was a watershed moment. I was on fire to create in a way I have never been. I was hungry for it and for the past 3-4 years have worked intently to increase my skills painting the figure.
Do you have a personal mantra or quote which serves to motivate you?
I can be overwhelmed with self-doubt. My anxious twin (I am a Gemini!) wants to tell me I’m not good enough, why do I try, why put myself out there, I am embarrassing myself- you know the drill. The only way past that and what tends to shut that thinking down is my mantra. It is very simple but that keeps me from arguing with it. It is simply “Just Keep Working”.
Describe an obstacle you have faced and how did you overcome it.
For a long time, one of my biggest obstacles was having a full-time job. I did not feel like I ever had enough time to make good work. Once I started painted the figure again, I knew I would never get better without putting the time in. I decided to start a daily practice instead of waiting for long periods of time to become available. I set-up my studio up in a way that I could get right into a painting when I got home form work. I found that even putting in just an hour or two a day, I was seeing improvement. It has been the only way I’ve found to get work done around my packed schedule. It can be grueling, but I want to be in position to take advantage of more time once I have an empty nest.
Is there something you regard as essential to your preparation or process?
What has been the most important part of my artist growth and process as a whole is looking. I spend a lot of time really looking and practice seeing. People around me often find me staring; I explain that the way the light is hitting their nose or creating a fantastic shadow caught my eye, an occupational hazard.
Detail a moment which was the highlight for you, thus far.
A definite highlight this past fall, was being accepted into the 3rd Annual Juried Exhibition at WMOCA. Not only did I get to meet fellow artists, including David Hummer (artist and gallery owner), I got to meet John Dalton and was awarded an honorable mention for my 6 panel work “Anniversary Series”.
How does your work respond to social trends?
I am inspired by all the fantastic work I see online but hope my work is not on trend. I want my work to be highly personal, about my life, my story.
What do you hope to convey through your work?
I hope to convey deep emotion; a window into what I perceive it is to be human, to reflect that depth- a pictorial version of deep conversation instead of small talk.
Follow Ellen!