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The paintings of Leonard Wren exude his sincere joy for life and
for the beauty of the world around him. Finding infinite inspiration in the
everyday world, Leonard paints intimate scenes with grace and eloquence. He
is able to convey the subtle splendor in scenes often overlooked by others.
Leonard states, “It’s the duty of the artist to bring out the beauty of the
simplest scene.”
PLEIN AIR PAINTER
As an Impressionist, Wren is intrigued by relationships of light and color.
He goes directly to the outdoors to get the truth. As a plein air painter he
must move quickly to eternalize on canvas his impression of the fleeting moment.
By skillfully placing colors side by side allowing them to blend optically,
he is able to capture light, color, atmosphere, and the illusion of depth
exceptionally well. His paintings are full of color and life, having a sense
of controlled spontaneity and liveliness in his brushwork. In essence they
are a reflection of him.
INSPIRATION THROUGH TRAVEL
In addition to painting the beauty of the American landscape, Leonard enjoys
traveling to new places to find inspiration. His journeys take him to locales
such as Italy, France, Spain, and Jamaica. He is also intrigued with the
wonderful light and variety in the landscape of Washington State, where he is
building a new studio.
When Wren discovered Impressionism, specifically the work of Monet, he “began
to see in a totally new way.” Despite having a young family to support,
Leonard decided to pursue a career as an artist. He sought out a teacher who
could help him learn to paint light and color, and every week for a year
traveled from his home in Tulsa to Oklahoma City to study with Richard and
Edith Goetz.
FOCUSING ON HIS CAREER
He quickly reached a point in his career where he was able to concentrate his
efforts on his love of painting. In 1976, about a year after he began
painting, Leonard closed his commercial design business, which he had owned
and operated since 1964. After just a few years of painting, his inherent
ability positioned Leonard as one of the leading American Impressionists.
EMOTIVE RESULTS
Leonard’s style and choices of subjects allow the viewer to relate to the
paintings. Rather than rendering a detailed depiction of a scene, his loose
interpretive brushwork conveys a peaceful moment in time. He leaves the
detail to be interpreted by the individual viewer, thus creating a familiarity
to his work. In addition, by including evidence of human existence in the
landscape such as a quaint cottage, an old bicycle, a sidewalk café, or a
path through a quiet garden, his paintings invite the viewer to participate
in the narrative. They are quiet intimate moments, movingly expressive, which
“provide relief from the complexities of life.”
To truly create a masterful painting, one must paint what one knows and
feels. To truly create fine works of art, the approach must be a pure
representation of the artist’s ideas or emotions. Because Leonard spends so
much time painting outdoors, he has become very comfortable and knowledgeable
about the world around him. Finding beauty and inspiration virtually
everywhere, Wren is able to communicate what moves him. Art purely and simply
reveals his love of life. Leonard says, “Sharing joy is what it’s all about.”
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