Michael Lyons was born in Denville, New Jersey and began painting and drawing at a young age under the tutelage of his mother, Mary, an artist in her own right. Since then, Michael’s work has been displayed in New York and New Jersey galleries and in New England during his schooling at the Rhode Island School of Design.

The unifying thread in Michael’s work is the process by which he documents objects, places, and people from observation. Through the use of watercolor, pencil, and oil paint, Michael reveals in his work the personal elation of discovery and the inherent loneliness of isolated voyeurism. By immersing himself into these images, Michael provides the viewer with his own perspective: that of the explorer. The subjects rendered are those the artist encounters in everyday life, in personal memories, in dreams, and in his recurring struggles with sleepwalking. While it has been called “joyful” and “completely free of angst,” Michael’s work still retains its deeply insightful character. Michael is currently involved in a project documenting the coastal United States through a painted travelogue. He hopes to eventually have the project published.