Conversation with the Artists & Gallery Tour
In the quiet embrace of nature, where the breeze whispers and the earth hums with life, Wendi Leigh visualises and reimagines. For the artist, this love is not merely an emotion but a deep connection that transcends the boundaries of time and space. It is a reverence for the intricate dance of flora and fauna, the symphony of colours that paint the sky, and the silent poetry of landscapes, both interior and exterior, unfolding.
With immense patience Wendi is assiduous in keeping her brush strokes clear and yet vibrant, where the hues translate this love into visual poetry. Each stroke of the brush becomes a homage to the splendour of nature, a testament to its beauty and grace.
And so, Wendi becomes a storyteller, weaving her wondrous magpie tales through the artwork. With each stroke, the paintings invite the viewer to join them on a journey of discovery, to lose themselves in the majesty of our natural world.
In a world where chaos often reigns supreme, Wendi’s ability to relay the love of nature through her paintings becomes a beacon of hope and joy. It reminds us of the simple pleasures that surround us, the beauty that lies in every corner. Through her comforting and quirky pieces, Wendi invites us to pause, to breathe, and to reconnect with the world around us. And in doing so, remind us of the profound bond that exists between humanity and the natural world – a bond that is as enduring as it is precious.
Wendi states that “There is a recognised need to consider and create new narratives about how humans and the environment relate to one another. In a primordial attempt on humanity’s part to understand and live in harmony with the beauty and wonder of creation, Wendi Leigh expresses this in objective imagery. The inspiration that man can draw from nature is endless, and this body of work shows just some of the interactions that we have with the naturalistic side of our instincts. From one perspective, Wendi’s act of sharing her living space with intelligent birds like Magpies emanated from her general love since childhood, while from another, it may be theorized that her nurturing of animal companions, as if they were her pets, bolstered her love for fauna –and nature in general- by driving a very intimate connotation into all lifeforms she was exposed to. Her work also embodies the personal need to bring hope and joy to the viewer in an otherwise dysfunctional world”.
Wendi holds a BVA from Wollongong University and has been a working artist since 1989. Coming from a fashion and design background, her hard-edged contemporary take on realistic imagery stems from her passion for patternmaking, clothing design and joining shapes together. She currently exhibits in NSW, VIC, S.A and QLD as well as various Affordable Art Shows.