By BONNIE OWEN
Lyle grew up and attended high school in Laguna Beach in the 1950s. Most of his art was for projects at school. He made drawings for the yearbook and school paper, posters, and stage artwork. On graduation, he was awarded the Bank Of America Art Achievement Award, but instead of art school, he decided to study engineering at UC Berkeley.
Lyle received a degree in electrical engineering in 1962. He spent most of his engineering career in the Silicon Valley area, where his wife Leslie and he raised four children while he worked at several startup electronic companies.
During the 1990s, he took a number of painting workshops with artists who he admired. He studied with Gregg Kreutz, Scott Burdick, Ray Roberts, Scott Christensen, Carolyn Anderson, Kang Cho, John Budicin, and others.
When he retired from engineering in 2004, he and his wife moved back to Orange County. He joined the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA), which allowed him to paint live models in their studio, and to paint in outdoor plein air sessions. He painted there up to three times a week for a period of about five years. LPAPA occasionally had art shows, where on three occasions he was awarded prizes.
Lyle found that he didn’t enjoy promoting his work, but he did exhibit some paintings in two galleries in Laguna and one in Capistrano.
In 2016 he and his wife moved to La Mesa to be near their children and grandchildren.
Lyle says he enjoys being a member of the Foothills Art Association.
