Contemporary Passions: Cherry Lyons
Cherry Lyons is one of the nine SHAF artists whose work will be on show at Harbour House for the Contemporary Passions exhibition.
- Teresa Barlow
- Nick Cotter
- Jane Davarian
- Crystel Dauth
- Brett Hornby
- Cherry Lyons
- Jane Mahood
- Elaine Sibley
- myself, Stephen Thomas
In this series of blogs, some of them share their process. You can read about Elaine Sibley here and Jane Mahood here and me here.
WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS, CHERRY?
With a passion for making and sharing art, nature – in all its glory – provides me with endless painting opportunities, particularly sketching and painting en plein air come rain or shine.
As an experimental mixed media artist, seeing magnificent colour-drenched textures through ever-changing light and climatic conditions is particularly motivating. I am constantly challenged to capture such fleeting atmospheric moments-in-time in my sketchbooks.
Back home, in the studio, the fun begins when subjects are uniquely painted with originality, whatever media is chosen.
Found objects, watercolour, acrylics, oils, pastels, printmaking and the ancient art of encaustic wax are significant media choices for my artwork.
For Contemporary Passions, my focus is mainly on the ancient art of encaustic wax, used decoratively for over 2000 years. This captivating art-form involves melting beeswax with damar resin and fusing molten wax in pigmented layers with intense heat.
Responding to the elements of air, water, fire and earth, my new encaustic paintings have a raw elemental feel. Imagining how our earth was formed and how it may evolve in the future were in my thoughts as I built up the many layers of coloured and pure wax, carefully fusing each with a blow-torch, adding found objects and minerals, watching closely as metamorphosis transpired.
“I feel a bit like an alchemist and my studio sometimes resembles a science lab where I am often found with blow torch in hand, looking like an extra from a Star Wars movie!”
Here are three of the pieces that can be seen in the exhibition.
MORE ABOUT CHERRY LYONS
Cherry Lyons exhibits widely, and enjoys membership of South Hams Art Forum, Devon Artist Network, several art societies and is Vice-President of the Devon Art Society.
Cherry says: It was incredibly refreshing to take part in Devon Open Studios and the SHAF Arts Trail. I appeared in the televised Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2015, 2016 and 2018 and was a finalist in the Devon Life Landscape Painter of the Year and these have been exciting achievements.
You can contact Cherry Lyons by email ar*******@li**.uk and see more of her work on her website www.cherrylyons-artist.co.uk.
Commissions are welcomed and, as a qualified educator and demonstrator, Cherry shares her knowledge and techniques through inspiring workshops and demonstrations.
WHEN IS THE CONTEMPORARY PASSIONS EXHIBITION?
As ever, we are at Harbour House, Kingsbridge TQ7 1JD.
And the exhibition runs from Tuesday 16 July until Sunday 28 July.
MEET THE ARTISTS!
6-8PM TUESDAY 16 JULY
Come along to meet the artists and see their interpretation of our theme: Elements.
All are welcome and refreshments will be provided.
Fine Artist, Elen Claire Williams MA is one of 60 artists opening their studios for the SHAF Arts Trail.
SHAF Arts Trail brochures are available in libraries, information centres and many other places in the South Hams. There are 18 SHAF Arts Trail venues, each with one or more artists displaying their work and available for you to see them at work, and to answer your questions.