inspiring documentary

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b016pwgw/Timeshift_Series_11_Antarctica_Of_Ice_and_Men/

I just watched this documentary on iplayer about the exploration of Antarctica. I'm now in love with Herbet Ponting's photographs!

Entered V&A annual illustration awards

Don't find out the results until next year but worth a shot i suppose!

Alfred Wainwright and Haystacks

“All I ask for, at the end, is a last long resting place by the side of Innominate Tarn on Haystacks, where the water gently laps the gravely shore and the heath blooms and Pillar and Gable keep unfailing watch. A quiet place, a lonely place, I shall go to it, for the last time and be carried: someone who knew me in life will take me and empty me out of a little box and leave me there alone. And if you dear reader, should get a bit of grit in your boot as you are crossing Haystacks in the years to come, please treat it with respect. It might be me…” Alfred Wainwright

I like to consider the history behind places when walking through them or drawing them. Here at the summit of Haystacks was one of Wainwrights favourite places and his final resting place.

Alfred Wainwright wrote and illustrated 7 volumes of guides for the Lake District. The above quote was written in the closing paragraphs of his book, Memoirs of a Fell Wanderer, when Wainwright was in his Eighties and his eyesight and legs were failing.

sketchpad stuff

A few sketches from some recent trips...

The forest of Fontainebleau (south of Paris) is a mecca for bouldering, i always have loads of fun whenever i go and eat far too many croissants. The place also has a fair bit of art history attached to it as well as being a boulderers playground.

'The Dog' at Cul De Chien (Ink on paper 18 x 27 cm)



'Le Toit' Cul de Chien (ink on paper 18 x 27 cm)

Swanage, Dancing Ledge in Dorset. We usually camp in the caves near here, so beautiful :)

Dancing Ledge, Swanage (ink on paper 18 x 27 cm)

BMC Summit magazine

British Mountaineering Council's quarterly magazine has a section dedicated to mountain related artists in this Winters issue they included some of my work.

Smaller scale commissioned work

Craggy Island interview

A friend of mine who works for Craggy asked me if i would be up for answering a few questions for her newsletter...

Interview with Craggy Island Climbing Wall

Chichester show

In September I had a little exhibition of some prints and the Norway drawing above a lovely little shop in Chichester called Pretty Scruffy www.prettyscruffy.com

some nice words

British Council, Back of the Envelope 12th June 2011

“Tessa Lyons, Large Scale Landscapes are moving and absorb you into them to the point that you forget there is other work in the room. Tessa’s work doesn’t just stand out because it is beautiful but also because it is so very different from any of the other illustration work at Brighton. Her subject of natural landscapes and her medium of charcoal produce images that are closer to fine art than the rest of the department’s work.”

Creative Review 30th June 2011

Grafik Mag, Bright Stars

“Tessa Lyons’ moody, monochrome large-scale drawings of moors and peaks offer a dark spin on the traditional landscape study.”

Latest 7 Magazine

Brighton's Latest 7 magazine promotional stuff for the Uni, i had to stand with my work whilst they took photos which was pretty embarrassing...'move your right foot forward a little... no... no... back a bit and move your hair out of your face please...'

From the show in June

As this is a bit of a delayed blog i'm going to start back at the beginning of the year...here are a couple of photos from my degree show at Brighton. A friend of mine who is a carpenter framed the drawing in a beautiful custom made ash wood frame, he did a really fantastic job and i was really pleased with how it came out! I received the 'highly commended award' for my piece which was also nice.

New blog!

So i have decided to keep a little blog of my trivial exploits incase anyone might be interested. I'll be adding new drawings up here including some bits from sketchpads, i'll also be updating it with any news clippings or other relevant stuff!