Mirada Fine Art Welcomes James Leonard to The Gallery

Mirada Fine Art is thrilled to introduce our newest artist to the gallery: James Leonard.

James Leonard at Mirada Fine Art

One of the foremost abstract expressionists in the Western United States, James Leonard never touches a brush to canvas. His technique, tools and mediums are wholly his own, as are the stunning paintings that are the result of his creative implementations.

James Leonard at his California studio

Working with a massive palette knife, Leonard pulls, scrapes twists and turns multiple layers of acrylic paint across his canvasses. Bold strokes of color are both intuitively and thoughtfully applied to evoke emotion within his abstract landscapes. The influence of famous painter, Gerhard Richter, is evident in James' work. The story of each painting is relayed through this layering, finished with additional speckled, dropped and fragmented color, that is then scraped off in lines to reveal the history of the work; Leonard refers to this technique as 'sgrafito.' He likens this to a fence post that has observed the passing of time, often repainted, weathering and revealing the colors of each year.

James Leonard's signature technique used in his painting 'One Yellow Poppy'

James Leonard took this technique to a heightened level with his newest work, the 'Transformational Series.' Ecstatic and infused with nature, this new work features astounding relief and swirls of bold color. To sustain the depth of texture, the pieces are created upon archival boards and reminiscent of blown glass, so much so that famed glass blower Dale Chihuly was moved to included Leonard's work in his personal fine art collection. James' paintings can be found throughout the world, including collections at NASA and Yale University.

Definitely come visit us at Mirada Fine Art and check out all of Jame's work in person!

James Leonard at Mirada Fine Art, 'Blue Skies & Sunny Days I',
Acrylic on Canvas, 36" x 36"

James Leonard at Mirada Fine Art, 'First Bloom,'
Acrylic on Canvas, 38" x 38"

The West as Seen by Robert Reynolds

New Mexico based painter Robert Reynolds captures the western landscape through his palette knife. 

Mirada Fine Art presents Robert Reynolds (shown outside his New Mexico Studio)

Immerse yourself in the richly hued textures of a Robert Reynolds landcape, and you will understand why Southwest Art magazine recently named him one of the country's 'Artists to Watch'.

Robert Reynolds at Mirada Fine Art,
 'The Smell of Rain', Oil Paint on Canvas, 48" x 36"

Born in Golden, Colorado, a young Robert spent many years trailing after and attempting to mimic his father, an accomplished watercolorist. His natural leaning to the artistic led him to pursue a bachelor's in Fine Arts at Colorado State University in Ft. Collins. There, a wanderlust was born within him, leading him to exotic and far-flung locales such as Paris, Seoul, Tibet, Nepal, Bangkok, New York, and Tokyo. Alighting India long enough to earn a Masters degree from Visva-Bahrati University. His vast knowledge of global terrain continues to influence his artwork.

Robert Reynolds, 'Reflected Stillness', Oil on Canvas, 48" x 48"

Reynold's extensive travels also instilled a deep-seated respect and love of nature. His vision of the Earth as sacred, closely aligns with his interest in Native American and Spanish culture, making New Mexico the natural choice when it came to settling down. Wide open vistas, ever-changing light and stunning panoramas of natural history continue to inspire Robert. His work, infused with the tactile nature of his surroundings, is created using energetic brush strokes and layers of lush oil paint applied with palette knives. Robert prefers to paint plein air but often completes his paintings in his studio, continuing to instill in each piece a memory of everything he was affected by when putting brush to canvas. While striving to encapsulate every sense of a scene, he remains open to the spontaneity of direction any painting might take. 

Robert Reynolds, 'Through Canyon Country', Oil on Canvas, 48" x 36"

"Painting has become a way to understand and interpret the magic of a landscape", Reynolds explains. "I hope to convey the passion I feel when viewing the totality of a scene. The warmth of the sun, the wind picking up, the energy filling the Earth, the sky, and me."