Cole Lyons was born in Fairfield California in 1992. Throughout his childhood he always enjoyed looking at and creating art. At a young age, Cole’s parents encouraged him, and his two sisters, to create and enter illustrations, paintings, and photographs into their town’s yearly fair. Every year he would look forward to the month before the fair, to sitting down with his sisters and drawing whatever came to him. His Uncle was a part time cartoonist and would show him and his sisters all sorts of creative drawings and cards which furthered his interest. As he got older, he started reading and looking at many graphic novels and he began to imitate the artwork in the books. The worlds in these books held a visual intrigue for him and helped to shape his love for Illustrations.

Cole went on to study illustration at the Academy of Art San Francisco. His time in San Francisco helped him to develop as an artist and learn the foundations of art, which he still utilizes to this day. Cole enjoyed going to figure drawing workshops in San Francisco and has always been fascinated with drawing the human figure. He moved to Oregon in the winter of 2014 and began attending Rogue Community College in Spring of 2016. Cole started to become more interested in fine art painting and specifically landscape painting with the help of his art teacher Karl Brake. The Oregon landscape really sparked something in Cole, having never lived in a place with such prevalent natural beauty. His acrylic paintings are full of energy and vibrant colors. He enjoys using strong positive and negative shapes, always looking for a harmony in the paint.

Nature is the biggest influence in his art now. Making observations, interpretations, and communicating the forms of nature that he experiences is his goal. Cole wants to create excitement and visual interest by bringing the feelings of the outdoors inside, to the viewers of his paintings. By painting directly onto the surface, being concrete, having confident honest brushwork, and being passionate he hopes to achieve a fraction of the artistry that he finds in nature. This emerging artist shows talent and determination and is looking to go on with a BA in Fine Art or Art History.