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Artist Statement

THE ORDINARY things that surround us, that fill our lives, these are beautiful to me. Every object reflects light. Even dull objects are reflected in shinier things, and they also cast shadows of their own colors onto the surfaces

where they sit. The way light transforms objects, how it seems to distort them, how it

reflects from one surface to another, fascinates me. So, I focus this fascination using still life compositions of ordinary things, in oil paints,

usually on oil-primed linen. I first develop the composition in detailed drawings, then a value study. I create the underpainting in oil, over which I put down thin layers of color. The glazes accumulate to build depth in the objects and complexity of light and dark.

My desire is to elevate the beauty of ‘ordinary,’ to evoke wonder in us. If my still life paintings help people see the wonder beauty of everyday life, then with each painting you enjoy, I achieve my goal.

 See Lin's currently available work here.  

 Artist Bio

Influenced by Picasso, Debuffet, Basquiat, De Kooning. His paintings are spontaneously fresh, intuitive and original, reflecting the nature of mankind modern life and his senses. His work express unique influential qualities with an experimental continuity approach. On studio practice he is comfortable with the “Unintentional~ Direct approach”, with passion and perseverance to investigate the unknown. Through intuitive visions of characters and creatures his artwork reveals to us esthetic substance.

He studied in his native Torino (Italy) and moved in the United States in 1984. He has lived and made art in Seattle since 1986. His paintings are collected in many homes, in Seattle, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Austin, Miami, Palm Desert, San Diego, Los Angeles. His work was included in important exhibitions in France, Sweden and Germany.

Leonardo's current work at Fogue Studios

 Artist Statement

My work is based on deep curiosity about the subconscious, and the pursuit of states of creative flow that provide access to that domain. I use water-based paints, monoprinting, and drawing media to build layered dreamscapes exploring metaphysical and psychological aspects of the self. Over the years, I’ve developed a visual vocabulary that reflects a synthesis of techniques which bridge figuration and abstraction while inviting the viewer into purposely ambiguous environments. The tenuous relationship between figure and ground is analogous to the liminal spaces of the dreaming mind and distant memories. 

Influenced by the Surrealists, Abstract Expressionists, and the Northwest School among others, I use spatial juxtapositions and serial compositions to explore archetypes, identity, and the shadow aspects of the self beyond ego. My figures are intentionally fluid, reflecting gender as a continuum of Jungian Anima and Animus that probe psychological identity as complex and evolving. I create fields of color and texture that bifurcate in patterns unique to my work, and metaphorical to the act of creation. Through this, I aim to contribute to a broader conversation about the authentic self, longing, and the shared vulnerability of human experience. Playful ambiguity is central to my process, resisting a fixed meaning and instead encouraging an intuitive, emotionally resonant engagement for the viewer. 

I’ve dedicated myself to developing this body of work through years of intentional practice and experimentation. My goal is to connect with audience through a visual language that transcends the literal and speaks to something ephemeral as a part of the collective unconscious.

Biography

John Leahy studied art at Humboldt State University and received a bachelor's degree (1988) in fine art with an emphasis on Painting. He exhibited in Humboldt County and then moved to Seattle where he continued to paint and show art independently, and in juried shows including the Frye Art Museum and COCA in Seattle. During the 90’s he was working as a picture framer and gallery preparator, in retail shops and eventually with Allison Ross Art Services. Around the year 2000, he turned his focus to the service of education, first joining AmeriCorps, then getting his master’s degree in education, and becoming an elementary school teacher for Seattle Public Schools where he continues to teach currently at Green Lake Elementary. 

The demands of that career shift and of raising a family led to a hiatus in the public aspect of exhibiting until 2020. Since then, he has been exhibited work at CORE gallery in Pioneer Square, Fogue Studio and Gallery in Georgetown, CoCA, and A/NT Gallery in the Seattle Center. In addition, he has exhibited at some local coffee shops, the Greenwood Art Collective, a Pioneer Square studio space, a drinking establishment, and a couple of beauty salons. John feels like exhibiting artwork is a part of completing the equation of being a creative in this messy world we live in, and to that end has been interested in opportunities to share work with his community and network with artists and the public. 

He is currently a Fogue artist and  board member of A/NT Gallery in Seattle, Washington. 

John's available work at Fogue. 

 ARTIST STATEMENT

I paint as a way to connect with myself and others. Whenever I get inspired to paint something new, I focus on the series that is to come. I think about it, doodle around, dream about it and then begin. The Garden District is a place in New Orleans that is unique in its gritty beauty and culture like so many neighborhoods in Paris. These abstract florals are rooted from memories of my South Louisiana upbringing and discoveries made last year on a an unexpected trip to Paris. Expressive flowers everywhere! I hope you enjoy these new paintings. -Kimberly Leo Kimberly is a full-time artist originally from New Orleans. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from LSU. She has lived in the Pacific Northwest for over 20 years. 

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

I’m inspired by friendship, natural shapes, crystals, the moon, ebb & flow, and the cycle of life.   Kimberly Leo is an artist from Greater New Orleans and has been living in Western Washington since 2000. She has a degree in Fine Arts from Louisiana State University. She specializes in resin and mixed media.   

   See Kimberly's available work here.

To learn more about the artist visit her website at: www.kjleodesigns.com or Instagram @kj_leo_designs 

  ARTIST STATEMENT

 L'Esperance began his career as an artist in his late 30s, after a twenty-year stint as a successful real estate broker. After receiving a life-altering diagnosis, he assumed his true calling as a creative force and began making art in earnest. With numerous exhibitions since his 1996 debut at Lead Gallery, the artist explored many different media, including assemblages, totems, abstract paintings, and large steel sculptures. Due to his physical disability he uses helpers to construct his various works, except painting, which he still manages to do. Devoid of any formal instruction or tutoring, L'Esperance says that “my work seldom springs from an intentional, well-thought-out plan, but germinates rapidly as I imagine potential relationships of the various components.” He goes on to say that his creative process is still very intuitive, almost trance-like. His wide range of undertakings suggests a desire to examine an entire scope of approaches, all filtered through the implementation of found objects, metal-casting, welding, painting, and altered imaginary traffic signs with humorous texts.  

See John's available work here

ARTIST STATEMENT 

Donna Lipowitz is a multi-sensory artist originally from Australia. A former props master and set decorator in film and television, more recently a Documentary filmmaker in London, UK - where she was drawn to stories set in everyday life. In Los Angeles from 2019 she first experimented with scent together with immersive VR projects.

The SCENT LENDING LIBRARY is an evolution of storytelling for Lipowitz, here she explores how scent - unlike image, can bypass conscious bias and tap directly into memory, emotion, and place 

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