"Every good painter paints what he is."
- Jackson Pollock
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| About the Artist: |
 Kathy
Bonnema Leslie, a Colorado native, makes her permanent home in Montana where
she has maintained a studio since 1994. Her work has been exhibited in numerous
one woman and group shows across the country. Selected juried exhibits include:
The San Diego Watercolor Society International Exhibition, The Taos National
Exhibit of American Watercolor, The Midwest Watercolor Society National
Exhibition and Watercolor West National Exhibition. Jurors have included
Janet Koplos, senior editor of Art in America magazine and M. Stephen
Doherty, editor-in-chief of American Artist magazine. Ms. Leslie
was awarded the University of Northern Colorado Visual Art Scholarship where
she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts. Other honors include selection
for presentation to the Governor of Colorado, finalist selected for exhibition
by Artist Magazine, experimental category, and selected exhibitor
with the Smithsonian ARTrain. Notable collectors include the State of Colorado,
Colorado State University and Marin Community Medical Center, San Francisco. |
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| Artist Statement: |
| As a painter and print
maker, my work is the visual language in which I see the world. I have always
been greatly affected by my natural surroundings and am intrigued by the
power they have over feelings and our own sense of place. Regardless of
medium, I favor a glazing or layering technique, which produces rich vibrant
color. I strive to generate the striking color harmonies that I see in nature,
and the three dimensional light that plays over the surface of the landscape.
I feel it is important to not only paint the subject, but the air between
myself and the subject, creating a sense of atmosphere, space and feel.
I prefer to work in a "series" as it allows me to explore ideas
more fully. The series titles for both original paintings and serigraphs
refer to geographical locations, or life events that have generated ideas
for numerous paintings. |
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| About Serigraphs: |
 An
original hand pulled serigraph is one of the highest quality art prints
available. Most lithographs, commercial serigraphs and Iris prints rely
on film and computer imaging to mechanically produce the finished product.
The serigraphs available on this site were created entirely by hand, by
the artist. Each color requires a separate screen and each screen is hand
drawn. Paint is transferred through a fine mesh fabric onto paper. The areas
that are not to be printed are blocked with an impermeable substance and
the ink is forced through the remaining "open areas." The printing
is done with acrylic paint on museum quality 100% cotton rag paper. A printing
can take from two weeks to over a month to complete, and when these small
editions are finished the image can never be repeated. |
| *Photos Courtesy of P. Susanne Hopkins |
