Artist Statement

My recent artwork has been tremendously influenced by a two year sailing adventure that took my husband and I to Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and other Western Caribbean countries. The wonderful vibrant colors found in the tropics and living in constant motion aboard our sailboat are themes seen in all my current work. I am fascinated by finding ways to put motion in my work and am excited by the simplification, abstraction, and bending of shapes to produce emotion, drama and movement within my paintings. My landscapes are meant to express the power and mystery I find in nature.

The influence of our sailing trip is also evident in my figurative work. Being forced to live within another culture has made me more aware and inspired to express my interest in the cultural, social and ethnic differences that make up my community in the Pacific Northwest.

Virginia L. Leonnig