Welcome to my Painting Gallery

My paintings speak to a specific time, place and subject for me. I am an interpreter, I hear the noise and I try to make sense of it. I have often been criticized for not developing a definitive style but I am proud of this distinction. I liken my work to that of a musician. While I may prefer certain genres or aesthetics, I choose to match the piece to the subject. My voice is secondary to the sentiment; I use styles, methods and media as tools to deliver the message. While many of my works definitely exhibit certain traits and tendencies, I'd rather not be boxed into a classification. Painterly strokes, vivid coloring and dynamic formats are some of my hallmarks.

My subject matter ranges from portraiture to abstract fields of color. Most of my early pieces were heavily influenced by the Impressionists. I have a knack for color and often enjoy mixing on the canvas. Many of the traits that have become signature for my work are chiefly due to my lack of economic support. The painterly stroke work on most of my early pieces weren't always deliberate, instead they were choices driven out of necessity. I could not afford brushes with fresh tips and fine edges. I chose boards over canvases because they were accessible. Oils were used sparingly and in thin layers.

I have been exhibited in about a dozen galleries in the Mid-Atlantic and have placed or received honors at many different juried exhibits from 1994 to present. I have been featured in online galleries such as Noir.org and was named an "Artist to Watch" by Blue Ridge Arts Association.

The works on this page were created from 2010-24 and are copyright of Pete Lyon, if you are interested in purchasing or using the images please contact me here.

Click on images below to expand and for details about the work.

<i>Goodbye Horses</i>. Oil on canvas, 24x36 inches created in 2023.

<i>The Ruler of this Land is a Tyrant</i>. Oil on canvas, 36x20 inches created in 2020.

This is a satirical homage to a Grant Wood painting, <i>American Gothic</i>. This is acrylic on canvas, 30x30 inches created in 2012. It is currently on display in Domestic restaurant in Shepherdstown, WV and was created with the farm-to-table restaurant in mind. In this version, <i>American Gothic IV: the Reaping</i>, I wanted to play with gender roles and tradition. The idea of the restaurant was to reinvision American classics.

<i>The Emperor has no Hair</i>, 24x30, acrylic on canvas 2017, self explanatory.

<i>Deus Sit Propitius Huic Potatori</i>, a title taken from the Archpoet, a still life created in 2013 at a bar I used to tend. 22x28

Portrait of my old puppy, Buca from 2013. Acrylic and oil on canvas, 18x22

Portrait of my niece, Riley from 2018. Acrylic on canvas, 24x30

<i>The inelasticity of demand</i> states that we will never be happy with what we have. Oil and acrylic on canvas 30x24 from 2012.

The infamous Rusty Squeezebox, oil and acrylic on canvas 22x28 from 2013.

<i>Smoker no. 1</i>, oil on canvas 18x24, 2018. A new series, in progress, of pretty girls who indulge in cigarettes. While this was once considered classy or affluent as recently as 20 years ago, it now ellicits a much different response from the viewer.

<i>Smoker no. 2</i>, oil on canvas 18x24, 2018. Second in the smoker series, this is a portrait of Brody Dalle, formerly of the band the Distillers.

<i>Ziggy</i>, acrylic on canvas 18x24, 2021. The illustrious Zigfreid.

<i>Permeablility</i>, oil and acrylic on canvas, 32x28, 2013. My heart is sensitive to outside influences.

<i>Crabbing</i>, acrylic on canvas, 32x32, 2011. A work created for my sister to commemorate one of our favorite childhood events.

<i>Courtship for Cuckolds</i>, oil on canvas, 28x24, 2010. Not a big fan of dating and the games associated.

<i>Gnostics</i>, inspired by the Arab Spring and the impact of twitter. Oil on canvas 22x28, 2011.

<i>OK Commuter</i>, oil on canvas, 42x24, 2013. This piece bothers me because the earlier versions were much better. One of the hardest lessons that I have had to learn as a painter is when to stop. My work is generally very expressive and painterly and is mostly better delivered when not over-worked.

This piece, 'Jazz Cigarettes' won second place at a juried exhibit at Shepherd University in 2014. iT is a first in a series concerning a post-humous collaboration between myself and my friends deceased grandmother. She was a newly active painter in her retirement community and her family was left with a surplus of canvases and work from before she passed away. Rather than totally erase her efforts, I wanted to incorporate some of her abstract and expressive work into some of my own.

<i>PIGS or the shallow pursuit of wealth and fame</i>, multi-media on canvas 36x28, 2018. My favorite genre for painting is Neo-Dada. It suits my personality and view of the world. Wealth and fame are the guise in which the youth are being enslaved under.

<i>Eat/Drink/Pray</i>, acrylic on canvas, 24x40, 2021.

<i>Mecklenburg Inn</i>, 2012, acrylic on board, 18x24. One of my favortie haunts from college.

<i>High Society</i>, 28x24, 2013, oil on canvas. A project from college where we had to interpret a random idea for a piece.

<i>Carnivorous</i>, acrylic on board 18x24, 2018. A piece created for my vegetarian friend.

<i>Brando</I> A portrait of Marlon Brando done in oil on canvas, from 2017, that is very glossy and hard to photograph! I recently have returned to my roots of classical realism because I think that people forgot I could do such things. More of my recent work to this point has been very contemporary and modern and did not necessarily showcase my ability to work traditionally. I hoped this piece would serve as bait to attract more commission work.