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Leah Jay, Artist
1684 Zinnia Lane
San Jose, California, 95124
408-476-8630
email me — leah@leahjayart.com
visit — http://www.leahjayart.com
I’ve been a traditional artist for or over 25 years. I teach, sell cards and prints, and show originals. I love to experiment in just about every type of medium, and while traditional-media-based, I’m well versed in Photoshop and graphic design principles, and am learning every day about CreateSpace and other self-publishing platforms so I can do book covers with the technical knowledge to make the art look its best.
Most of the time I start by painting drippy, wet watercolors and acrylics on soaking wet paper – this unpredictable process inspires me, frees my imagination and provides opportunities for “happy accidents” to influence the resulting shapes. Over this vivid foundation, pastel chalks, pencils, pen, and charcoal coax emergent forms from the mass of colors – as traditional subjects like people, characters, and animals, or unplanned abstract adventures. Though I consciously employ both traditional and innovative techniques – my subconscious is the undisputed project manager. In this way I strive to channel pure emotion and energy into my work.
My choice of subjects has included people, celebrities, forests, landscapes, animal characters, text (quotes and poetry), and scenes from existing fiction and my imagination. My art influences include: Sulamith Wulfing, Brian Froud, Alphonse Mucha, Susan Seddon Boulet, Tove Jansson, and Kay Nielsen. I am inspired by memories of childhood, fairy tales, nature in all its forms, line, color, faces, music, the lighthearted and the fantastic.
My dream is to awaken a sense of childlike wonder in as many hearts as possible.
Currently represented by Kaleid Gallery in San Jose, California.
