Very simply put, I paint what I love and have a connection to. When I say I had classical training it means that I didn’t just make it all up in my head but had years of learning to interpret what I saw, not necessarily literally, but learning how to really see and observe and then portray in my own unique way. It is so much about making a beautiful line and hoping for strong design. Yes, I do some “Plein Aire” painting but for me, it can be too much information. I rely on it more for note taking then, bring it into the studio to render my own views. Take the “Road Series”, for example. They are not just about places I’ve been but are about motion, speed, Napoleon, composition and more. My “Tree Series” is so much about the initial rendering in purple, which, for me, is a vibrational color that I see when I squint my eyes. They are about positive negative spaces, lovely movement and composition. For me, repetition is striving for perfection or, at least, improvement. As I told my students, the more you do, the better you get. I live by that code. The “Heart Series” is about adventure and emotion. The heart goes wherever I want it to go. These three subject series have been with me for many years. I’m just beginning to explore architectural landscapes. So far so fun. Thank you Santa Monica!

-LEONA SOPHOCLES BROWNSON