Eileen Lyons
Eileen Lyons is an artist working in Jupiter, FL. She previously lived and worked as an artist and arts educator in Washington, DC for over 20 years. The concept of geographical place lies at the heart of her work. Her paintings depict natural and man-made abstract landscapes layered with psychological implication related to boundaries and openings. Lyons uses nautical charts, maps and satellite imagery to navigate her conversations with the earth. Her current work has an emphasis on the place where water meets land. Edges and patterns of natural elements are of particular interest to her.
Born and raised on Long Island, NY, Lyons made an early connection to the water. At age 14, her family moved to West Palm Beach where she again connected to the sea. She attended drawing classes at the Norton Museum of Art and had a deep interest in marine biology. She received a BFA in painting from St. Mary’s College of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN. After graduating, she accepted a position in Germany working for the U.S. Department of Defense as a civilian cartographer. Lyons finds that her cartographic background continues to inform her work today based on her use of maps and aerial perspective.
After living in Germany for five years, Lyons moved to Washington, DC where she earned an MA in Visual Arts/Museum Studies from American University. Her work continued to develop through masters-level painting courses at Corcoran School of the Arts & Design at George Washington University where she absorbed multiple influences from the Washington Color School; in particular, she was inspired by artists Alma Thomas and Sam Gilliam.
Lyons moved back “home” to Florida in 2018. She is painting full-time and is a faculty member at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta where she teaches adult painting classes. Lyons was a Teaching Artist for the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC and has led workshops at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, FL. Lyons was awarded a month-long residency at Cill Rialaig Art Centre in County Kerry, Ireland in April 2023, a month-long residency at Tides Institute and Museum of Art in Eastport, Maine in October 2024 and was recently awarded a residency at Mackinac Island Historic State Park in Michigan in August 2025. Her work is exhibited widely on the East Coast and can be found in many corporate and private collections across the United States, Canada and Ireland.
