Dana Lysons

My art is an expression of the things that I like most, beginning with horses. They are inspirational and I believe they have something to teach mankind. I try to express this in each of my drawings. I started branching out into other subject matter while I was in Middle School and began drawing cats, dogs, birds of prey, wild cats, and other wild life. I also enjoy drawing mythical creatures such as unicorns, Pegasus', gryphons, dragons, hippogryphs, and other mythical beasts.

The graphite and colored pencil drawings I do are derived from photographic references in attempt to convey as much realism as I can. I love the feel of colored pencils and the vibrant colors they give me, or the subtle tones they add to graphite drawings. With graphite drawings, I enjoy shading gradient by gradient, dark to light, or sometimes, light to dark which is a little trickier. Typically the paper I use ranges from sketch paper, to professional drawing papers of various textures, or my personal favorites, Bristol and illustration board. With drawing papers, I can leave much of the detail up to the paper texture itself, and with Bristol board, I can get a very smooth soft and shiny effect.

The question I get often is if I see the drawings completed in my head. I have an idea of what I want to draw, with no specific details in mind, unless I'm drawing from a photograph. I'll then decide if I want it in color or black and white. I start with that, and the drawing comes to me as I work. It's a creation in my head that evolves as the pencil moves on paper and sometimes it looks nothing like the original intent. There are those special moments where some small detail evolves out of pure accidental coincidence. I am also asked how I draw. This is a difficult question and I could explain all of the technical details about the mechanics of drawing, however, that would turn into a full blown book of which several have already been created. Half the time I'm drawing, I'm not really thinking about it, it just evolves on its own.

Throughout the years my artwork has helped me through some tough times in high school as a therapeutic outlet for a troubled teenage mind, and as a way to relieve the many stresses created in daily life. It is my intent to utilize my equine art to teach others about horses and how they have helped shaped the world in which we live in today, and also bring awareness to their everyday plight living amongst humans. My drawings of domesticated animals serve as a reminder to honor those animals that bring us joy everyday. How they greet us at the door when we come home and comfort us when we're down. The act of drawing allows me the freedom to express how I perceive the world around me and the viewer can observe and interpret as they see fit.

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