Ellen Starr Lyon is a figurative painter focusing on modern portraiture that revolves around feminism, motherhood, and coming of age. Her naturalist painting style incorporates a colorful palette and multiple thin, luminous layers capturing her models in natural light. Lyon uses her own photography to catch unguarded moments that are translated into oil paintings showing glimpses of emotion on the faces of those around her. Lyon champions vulnerability as strength while showing it as our common language. Her Red Glove Series depicts her teenage daughter wearing bright red rubber gloves and a defiant expression to talk about the next generation’s fight for reproductive rights. She has work in the permanent collection of the Evansville Museum, UC Irvine, and Indiana University. Lyon has been invited to the Pouch Cove Artist Residency in July of 2024.