"Cool Water"
Harold Lyon, "Cool Water," 2003, oil on canvas, 24" x 30".
HAROLD LYON
By Rod Chapman
Harold Lyon is a master at reproducing the subtle qualities of light and mood on canvas. His subject matter ranges from landscape and wildlife to ranches, portraits and floral still life, although he is best known as a painter of western scenes. Born in 1930, Lyon attended the Meinzinger School of Art in Detroit and the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. He taught art on his own CBC television series, then worked in advertising and as an illustrator for the Hudson’s Bay Company in Calgary. While living in Calgary in 1965, Lyon turned to painting full time. His work is characterized by dynamic brushwork and vivid colours layered with authenticity, originality and bravura. His paintings make viewers feel as if they are glimpsing a single frame in a technicolour action sequence. Lyon lives with his wife Katherine in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they operate Lyon Gallery. Lyon’s work is represented in Kelowna by Hambleton Galleries and in Calgary by Gainsborough Galleries, where an exhibition entitled Harold Lyon takes place August 7 to 14, 2004.