ARTIST INTERVIEW: Grace Lyons
Grace Lyons
Please can you tell me about yourself.
I'm a self-taught figurative artist. I am South African and lived in Durban for most of my life, but in 2016 I decided to relocate to the UK with my family. I fell in love with a Yorkshireman, and now we have a home in Scarborough with our four young daughters. Art has always played an incredible role in my life; it has become part of my identity and drive. I come from a large family who are all really creative, and my parents were wonderful at encouraging us to develop musical and artistic skills. Although I never went to College or University to study Art, I have found it has benefited me in finding my own journey and techniques in a unique way by playing around with different mediums for over 20 years. If I was taught a traditional way, I probably wouldn't have found my own artistic voice.
Tell me about your journey as an artist. What inspired you to become an artist?
To be honest I never really thought I would be a professional painter. As a child I was determined to be an actor and do theatre and film, but after doing a short course in the UK, I realised it wasn't for me. I decided to work in Care and focus on building a family. It was really my husband who encouraged me to pursue my skills as an artist full time. I hadn't really thought I would be a painter professionally, prior to that I had only painted as a hobby with a few commissions for family and friends.
I decided to focus my energy and love for art full-time and paint was what I was passionate about. I meditated for months about what really spoke to me as an artist and painting bodies was it. I have since found the most fulfilling joy in painting skin tones and unique figurative poses, that are both raw and natural.
With four young children, the challenge has always been trying to paint around hectic schedules. I used to paint during naps and while my kids were asleep, sometimes finishing at 2am. I knew if I wanted any chance to do it professionally, I would have to master my organising skills. It was difficult but my aim has always been to inspire my kids to follow their dreams. I want them to be empowered to pursue their passions and do the things they love.
What is it about the human body that interests you?
What's not interesting about the body? It is the most natural form of ourselves, it doesn't lie, the body keeps score in every way. It will show you what you have experienced in your life. The traumas and stresses that you have experienced manifest throughout the body overtime. It is a history record of an individual's life experiences. I love painting the body, it is the most wonderful instrument that has a dynamic capacity that we can’t even fully comprehend.
It's not just what I feel about my work and my motivations that interest me, it's the reaction from people viewing my work. How people experience art is telling of their own interests and internal makeup. Some people simply note that it's nude, or someone feels triggered by the emotion of the figures and connect that way. People read art through what they know personally, so my art becomes a mirror that can reflect emotions, boundaries and encounters in their own lives. It's very interesting to see the differing reactions, body language is so important. That is powerful, art is powerful.
Describe your creative process; from start to finish of one of your pieces. Where do you find your inspiration?
I'm always on the lookout for bodies that inspire and speak to me. Figures that move to show light, curve, bone or muscles in different ways. The body language captures an emotional moment in time and tells a story. I have amazing muses and photographers around the world that inspire me to recreate their form in a new way. Often, I take my own images and edit and merge a few pictures to get the look I want.
I'm a big fan of photographer Rick Jolson who helped influence my collection; Brave Ground. I love playing around with unconventional styling and effects. I try to let the painting tell me what it needs through the process. I love the reflection of gold leaf metallic surfaces to create depth and different dynamics. Painting can truly change my mood. It's a vulnerable process that lets you nurture something raw and develop it into something extraordinary.
What are the key materials and techniques that you use in your work?
I stretch my own canvases and use a thick textured cotton fabric that's gritty and allows my paint to dry and brush in fine layers with acrylic paint to create a unique skin texture. This light dusting effect is best used with makeup brushes because they tend to be fluffier and softer than typical art brushes.
My backgrounds can be a mixture of gold leaf layering and paint with multiple layers of varnishing in between. Gold leaf can be a bit finicky and delicate at first but it creates stunning effects that are definitely worth the trouble.
Does art help you in other areas of your life?
Art has been a huge emotional support and growth in my life. Art has allowed me to look within myself and heal how I view my own challenges. My struggles with my anxiety disorder and depression can leave me feeling quite emotionally drained, but I've found that creating something from nothing is an empowering thing. Art has been therapeutic for internal struggles. I will say I feel like art is my superpower. Whenever I'm feeling down or overwhelmed with my mental health, I know I can create something wonderful with my hands despite how I feel within.
What messages are you trying to convey through your art?
Art has a higher purpose than being something attractive. Its objective, what one person loves, another person hates. I love figuring out what makes people tick and what they see, through their own perception. If my art inspires anyone to push themselves or create something, then it's achieved something wonderful. It's a blessing to make people stop and take time to appreciate something you made, it's a beautiful thing. Art is important, and if I can make you take an extra second to think about how powerful our human bodies are, that's great too.
Who is your favourite artist and why? Do they have an influence on your work?
Ohh, I think Frida Kahlo is one of my favorites but I think that might be because she was a kick ass woman despite all the tragedy she endured. Gustave Klimt is also really close to my heart, the richness of the golds with entwined figures is so sensual and divine.
Pre-Raphaelite art and sculpture from the Renaissance period was also a huge influence on my appreciation of anatomy.
Why do you think art is important in society?
Art plays a huge role in society without people even realizing it. Everything around us is art in some form. Creative people play an incredibly important role in society, it is crucial that we allow people the freedom to create and explore through art. Art is a product of passion and perseverance, it requires people to give of themselves to create a physical idea.
