'The Break', oil on canvas, 12 x 9 inches.
FLORESCENCE Series
'Much of the work I craft, begins with a simple emotion that transforms into a fully realized painting in my mind’s eye; oftentimes, this imagery challenges conventional notions of anatomy, form and textures.
These portraits bloomed from the fusion between Surrealism and Expressionism. In this series, florals symbolize the vibrancy and resilience of life, while contrasting works composed of color tiles play a structural role as fragmented memories. This duality reflects
my response to the loss of my mother, capturing the interplay between the living essence of her spirit and the disjointed recollections that frequent my thoughts.
Through these portraits, I explore the complex relationship between presence and absence, illuminating the intricate tapestry of memory that both celebrates and mourns the legacies of maternal connections.'
left to right: 'Arbola' oil on canvas, 10 x 8 inches.,
'Orchidia' oil on canvas, 10 x 8 inches.,
'Visiting Season', oil on canvas, 12 x 9 inches.
Note: All images in the Gallery will open to full size by clicking on the image.
'Santa Intrepida', oil on canvas, 12 x 9 inches.
left to rigth: 'Dahling', oil on canvas, 10 x 8 inches.,
'Morade',oil on canvas, 10 x 8 inches., 'Sunny', oil on canvas,
10 x 8 inches.
'Messenger', oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches.
STATES OF MATTER Series
'I explored the dynamic interplay between form and emotion, using the different states of matter as imagery to represent the diverse mental states experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each painting serves as a visual metaphor for the fluid nature of our thoughts and feelings during this unprecedented time, capturing the tension between confinement and liberation, uncertainty and clarity.
With the shifting compositions from one artwork to the next, I invite viewers to reflect on their own emotional journeys, highlighting the optimism and adaptability that emerge in the face of collective challenges.'
left to right: 'Phenomena 2', oil on canvas, 12 x 9 inches.,
'Phenomena 3', oil on canvas, 12 x 9 inches., 'Phenomena 1', oil on canvas, 12 x 9 inches.
Note: All images in the Gallery will open to full size by clicking on the image.
'Still', oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches.
left to right: 'Curious', oil on canvas, 60 x 36 inches.,
'Hour Glass', 12 x 9 inches., 'Hope', oil on canvas, 60 x 36 inches.
'Turning', oil on canvas, 60 x 36 inches.
'Flight', oil on canvas, 60 x 36 inches.
'The Passage', oil on canvas, 36 x 60 inches.
SPLENDID WOUNDS Series
'My life was changed forever when cancer grabbed a hold of my child.
From the anguish of that experience, I began sketching and painting, something I had not much done since childhood.
From that precise moment, I began to see the world around me with a heightened sense of creative intuition. This work explores the relationships between fear, loss and survival.
With the use of Surrealism that ranges from detailed to simplified forms, my narratives focus on the turmoil of daughter having cancer and my life in Peru as a child where terrorism, poverty, and natural disasters often result in loss.
It chronicles a trajectory from fearful environments to rescue, to ultimate healing. This work serves as remnants of my memories and emotional wounds. From those extraordinary experiences, that which is painful has been made splendid.'
left to right: 'Blissful Unknowns', oil on canvas, 36 x 24 inches.,
'Weight of Providence', oil on canvas, 18 x 18 inches.,
'Sway', oil on canvas, 30 x 24 inches.
'Wonder in Malady', oil on canvas, 30 x 40 inches.
left to right: 'The Curtain of Imprinted Memories', oil on canvas,
36 x 24 inches., 'Remaining Anchors', oil on canvas, 20 x 15 inches., 'Resurgence', oil on canvas, 72 x 48 inches.
'Resilience', oil on canvas, 60 x 36 inches.
Stephanie Leonard, in her studio.
Artist Biography
Stephanie Leonard was born in Peru and lived there for 13 years. The dichotomy of a picturesque country, visually rich in the arts and affluent societies - against - the tragically impoverish, the prevalent terrorism and natural disasters of that time, left a lasting impact,one about “beauty and chaos.”
Several years later in the United States, Leonard first began
drawing and painting when her life was drastically altered by her daughter's cancer diagnosis.
Today, Stephanie Leonard resides and focuses on her artwork in San Clemente,CA and is a Fine Arts College Professor at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California.
She received her B.A. from The California State University of Long Beach and Master of Fine Art degree in Painting from The Laguna College of Art and Design, CA.
Her work is in private collections in the United States and in South America. She currently exhibits with 33 Contemporary Gallery, has exhibited in group shows on the East Coast and in diverse areas
of Southern California as well as the Laguna Art Museum, through public artworks, and in the set design for Universal Pictures feature films.
With experimentation anywhere in between Surrealism and Expressionism, Leonard’s oil paintings often delve into themes
about wonder, nostalgia, and the resiliency of the human spirit.
Website: www.stephanieleonardart.com
Instagram: (@stephanieleonard_artn1life)
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