The Lyon Road Art Story

WHY "LYON ROAD" I realize that naming an anatomy art store "Lyon Road" makes little sense at first. But there's a reason. I lived on Lyon Road in California for only a year, but it was in that year that life got real. My husband and I moved there for his residency the morning after our wedding. In that first month I finished grad school, started my first big girl job in San Francisco, and found out I was pregnant. And soon after, found out there were major problems with my pregnancy. A bit later my son was born, very premature and very sick, spending months in the NICU. It was a scary, demanding and traumatic time. (But don't you worry, all is well now.)

Each day at our Lyon Road apartment was its own challenge. But through the hardship we mastered an important concept: Appreciation. In the hospital, we had to learn to appreciate the physiological aspects of my son that were performing correctly, rather than fixating on problem areas. We learned to appreciate the hard work of nurses, doctors and therapists, as well as the never-ending support of friends and family. To this day, I am presented with reminders of how much worse it could have been and I take a moment to be thankful for my children's current health and well-being.

My paintings are a manifestation of this appreciation: I paint anatomy to showcase the beauty in the human body. It is actually what I was trained to do, as my graduate degree is in Biomedical Visualization. From this training, I know that the human interior looks random, so messy and unplanned. But the truth is the opposite. Every inch of the body put together in a defined and methodical way, making possible both the functions of which we are all capable, and also the uniqueness of every individual. The human being is phenomenal, and through some lessons learned on Lyon Road, I have come to fully appreciate its miracles.

 

KAITLIN WALSH | ARTIST STATEMENT

Using inspiration from both the form and function of human anatomy, my paintings explore the obscure, dynamic beauty hidden within the body. Through my studies, I have found that the human interior looks deceptively chaotic and haphazard. In reality, every inch of the body is put together in a defined and methodical way, making possible both the functions of which we are all capable, and also the uniqueness of every individual. Yet these capabilities, and the intricate structures that make them possible, are often disregarded: We consider the activities of the body background noise and fail to marvel at their power. But what if we could find the profound in the seemingly mundane? My work seeks to do this by unearthing the stories inherent to our anatomy. I hope to inspire a tradition of respect and appreciation for the overlooked.

 

MORE ABOUT OUR ANATOMY ART STORE

• Each item in my store is based on a hand-painted watercolor or oil painting, all created by me!
• The Lyon Road Anatomy Art team is made up of three hard-working and powerful WOMEN!
• Each print will come printed and carefully packaged by my team. Sizes 16x20 and below are printed in-house at our Waunakee, Wisconsin studio.
• A digital signature will be on each print (can be hand-signed if requested in customizations.)
• Want to know more? Check out our FAQ page or contact me at studio@lyonroadart.com

 

MORE ABOUT ANATOMY ARTIST KAITLN WALSH?

Kaitlin answers the most frequently asked questions she receives about why she paints anatomy and her journey as a medical artist.