Valerie's art is like the coldest sparkling drink on the hottest summer day. Your eyes open brighter, your sense are more adept and all of a sudden colors, mean something more than "red" or "yellow".
Valerie Leuchs grew up in a small town between Baltimore and Washington, DC. She has been creating art her entire life. Her mother was a graphic designer and encouraged her creativity. They visited art museums throughout her childhood and she attended art camps nearly every summer.
She graduated from Boston College with a degree in Fine Arts, and studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and San Miguel de Allende, Mex. In 2002, she moved to New York City. For fifteen years, she enjoyed a successful career as a business development and sales executive across fashion, finance and marketing. After the birth of her second son, she rededicated herself to her art and has found renewed joy in creating through painting.
She lives with her family on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She paints using acrylics and often integrates pencil and pastels onto the canvas. Her most recent work is abstract with bright colors and bold shapes. Valerie paints by adding many layers of sheer pigment onto the canvas; she likes when the first layer or raw canvas peeks through in the finished piece. Her work is cheerful but calming and balanced.
Valerie creates her art in series and books a limited number of commissions.
The collection Valerie created for this February's Artist Spotlight is simply delightful and well ... full of love. The slightly misshaped hearts are joyful and the color blocking is an incredible treat for the eyes.
Meet The Artist ...
I spent most of my life painting what I see. It wasn’t until 2020 that I began exploring abstract art. Since making that transition I have found that I am much more passionate about creating and I am always full of ideas of what to paint next.
I am an intuitive Artist. My paintings represent a feeling, moment in time, or special life experience. I am influenced by New York City (the place I have called home for the last 20 years), interiors, fashion, and nature.
I begin my paintings with a color palette and loose plan, then I start by placing layers and layers of paint. I dance around the canvas in an effort to create balance and symmetry with color, composition, and texture. My hope is to produce a painting that brings joy, beauty, and a story to the home where it will live.
Artist Spotlight Retrospective
