Lanyon was a Chicago-born artist who studied at both the School of the Art Institute and later in Iowa and the U.K. Her work has a surreal quality but that doesn't maker her a Surrealist (although that term is often applied) . In fact, it seems like you can find all sorts of threads to pull in her work. She often depicts every day items but they are rarely rendered in a straightforward, mundane way.
Lanyon was also a printmaker.
You can find out more at ellenlanyon.com.