Claudia Tullos-Leonard
claudia@claudiatullosleonard.com
“If you see the world as beautiful, thrilling and mysterious, as I think I do, then you feel quite alive.” — David Hockney
I am enthralled by nature. I am fascinated by the variety of shapes and colors and the fact that nature is constantly changing. What attracts me initially may be a beautiful flower, but then I find myself pulled into the surrounding space by a decaying leaf, a spent seed pod or a new bud. These contrasts captivate me.
My work depicts transformations in the Southern garden and landscape. A variety of factors including specific features, shapes, color variations or contrasts in lights and darks can influence my decision to paint a particular image. However, once engaged in the painting process, I pay as much attention to the deepest space or what is under the surface of the water as I do to a brilliantly lit leaf or a translucent bloom. The initial attraction gives way to the process of looking intently and painting the colors, shapes, light, patterns, complexities and abstractions that I find.
Painting for me is about the pleasure of looking at things; and, being in nature literally feeds my soul. With my paintings, I am attempting to share my experiences in nature with the viewer. I hope the viewer feels pulled into the space to explore as I have.
Solo Exhibitions
Color Obsession, Memphis Botanic Garden, Memphis, TN, 2020
Looking at the World, Beverly & Sam Ross Gallery, Christian Brothers University, Memphis, TN, 2018
From Farm Road to 30-A, Gallery Fifty Six, Memphis, TN, 2014
