Biography
Leigh Ann graduated from The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the first art school in America, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Majoring in printmaking and a minor in sculpture she extensively studied the figure and anatomy in both humans and animals through four years of drawing, painting and sculpting from life. While attending the academy she was honored with the Toppan Drawing Award, also a recipient, alumni, Mary Cassett. She has also completed an Associate’s Degree in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Colorado.
She was one of four nationally chosen to participate in a yearlong internship at The Franklin Mint. She has worked as a porcelain doll sculptor, assistant art director, art teacher, gallery director and graphic designer through out her career. She is the proud mother of two sons. Her dream is to have her art seen and shared. She is currently teaching and creating art. Leigh has shown her work in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Georgia, Sante Fe, Denver, Boulder and Tallahassee.
Her work is influenced by a passion to create a lasting impression. She tends to work in series with a variety of mediums and techniques. Her mediums of choice are woodcarving and woodcut prints. An ancient art form that was first used to reproduce illustrations for books the woodcut was held as a scared object in many cultures. Often time people used a limited edition print folded in their pocket as a talisman to sacred texts. The subject matter of her art is often focused on the celebration of God/ Goddess in nature and myth and the conservation of wildlife.
“Art affects me and has since I was a child. I try to produce art everyday. Coming from a large family with small means, art was an accessible outlet. Pencil and paper were simple implements that provided an abundance of joy and provided me with a voice and place in my crowded household. I found all the space I needed in the pages of my sketchbook. I find refuge there still. It was always an enjoyable challenge to fill that empty space with my thoughts, emotions and ideas. Now, as a mother of two boys, I still go to my art. To me it is the eye of the hurricane, a calm place amid my hectic life where I can stop and connect, again, to God and myself. Creating something from nothing brings a feeling of accomplishment that is rooted deeply inside of me. This is the way I feel most comfortable speaking to the world. The result is an authentic sincerity in what I choose to say creatively.”

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