Photos by Stephanie Klein-Davis | The Roanoke Times

Terry Lyon, a Roanoke artist, goes over his painting list Tuesday with Art Pannonia owner Judy Garbera. This painting, "Passage of Time," was originally commissioned by Appalachian Power Co., but Lyon eventually made a second piece for the company.

Judy Garbera, owner of Art Pannonia, holds artist Terry Lyon's painting called "Red Wrap," which is part of Lyon's exhibit that runs through Sept. 29.

"I used to be a much tighter painter, doing every leaf and every wrinkle," Lyon said. "Now I'm thinking it's less is more, and it's more appealing if it doesn't include everything."

Lyon's show, "Rural Impressions," opened earlier this week at Art Pannonia in Blacksburg and runs through Sept. 29.

The impressionistic oil-on-canvas paintings on display are mostly of outdoor scenes.

Human figures, both clothed and nude, and downtown street scenes -- mostly of Roanoke, where he works from Gallery 108 on Market Street -- are also the subjects of Lyon's paintings.

One painting in the show, "Passage of Time," features a farm scene in Wythe County, along with a story.

In 2006, Lyon was commissioned by Appalachian Power Co. to paint a scene showing a power line stretching from Wyoming County, W.Va., to Jackson's Ferry, Va. He focused on the farm and included the power lines in the background.

"I thought the barn was the most interesting part," Lyon said. "But they wanted less barn and more power lines."

So he painted a second piece from a different angle with more prominent power lines. He called the first piece "Passage of Time" to note the differences in the old barn and the new power lines.

The Virginia Tech alumnus started painting full time in 1996 after retiring from his job as an engineer.

He discovered painting during his senior year of high school in the Vinton area and kept it up part time while getting his degree at Virginia Tech and then working.

Painting "was more of a vocation than a hobby," Lyon said. "Some guys like to golf, but I like to go paint."

He used to paint with many media, such as watercolor and acrylic, but now sticks exclusively to oil.

"I've studied color, but it's really about applying art basics to everything," he said. "It's good to have some background, but eventually you find your own way."

This is Lyon's third show at Art Pannonia. He also has works there year-round, said Judy Garbera, owner of Art Pannonia.

"Terry's paintings are some of the nicest oils I have," Garbera said.

The pair met one weekend more than nine years ago when Garbera was visiting studios, getting ideas for what would become Art Pannonia. She visited Lyon's studio a few more times, striking up a friendship. She eventually helped sell one of Lyon's paintings to a friend.

"I was hoping if I helped him sell that one, he would bring his work to me," she said. "Now I always have some of his work here."