Courtesy Gainsborough Galleries
"The Great Escape"
Harold Lyon, "The Great Escape", oil on canvas, 36" x 48"
HAROLD LYON
Born: Ontario, 1930
Studied: Meinszinger School of Art, Detroit; Ontario College of Art, Toronto
Lives/Works: Arizona
Price Range: $650 - $25,000
Co-owners Marie and Robert Wood at Gainsborough Galleries manage one of Western Canada’s oldest commercial galleries. Located in downtown Calgary, they represent a wide variety of painters and sculptors and see collectors of all ages and interests. Recently they’ve noticed a desire for more colourful and dramatic paintings, and also a change in framing preferences. More clients are displaying paintings either unframed, or in various liner-less styles of frames.
One of their most collectible artists is Harold Lyon. “He just turned 80, has had a productive 50-year career and is still producing fantastic work,” Robert says. “He was recently the subject of a major article in Arabella magazine, and his art has been acquired by the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, GA and the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickensburg, AZ for their permanent collections. He’s at a stage in his career where his values will be on the rise again. Known as a traditional Western artist, he also paints a wide variety of landscapes, old buildings, portraits and even florals. His work appeals to a diversity of collectors.”
Collector Tip
Purchase pieces of the best quality possible. Not all works by a given artist are equal; developing an eye for quality is critical to building a strong collection. Better to buy a well-executed smaller piece, than a less well-executed large piece. Taking courses to learn more about art techniques can be useful.