The Cinematic Artist Gabe Leonard’s paintings take you into a world rich with inimitable atmosphere and narrative intrigue. What tales lie behind these interesting characters? And where will their stories take them? Leonard spent his early years in the mountain state of Wyoming, sketching wildlife and selling them to his school friends for a dollar.
After graduating from Columbus College, Ohio with a BA in Fine Art, he moved to Los Angeles where he first honed his skills on the ultra-competitive boardwalk of Venice Beach.His work has been described as “Johnny Cash meets Quentin Tarantino” and he captures rich moods by combining the free brushwork of an expressive artist combined with the lighting and framing of a seasoned Hollywood cinematographer.
Drawn to rugged and romantic film noir characters, Leonard merges technically brilliant figurative painting with a finely crafted cinematic atmosphere, creating snapshot moments full of narrative possibilities.The trademark runs and drips in his work are a deliberate break from academic restrictions and allow him to be more expressive, free and loose. Leonard’s style is deeply rooted in the European artistic tradition, drawing particularly on the work of his heroes such as Rembrandt, Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele.
Following a string of sell-out shows and acquisitions of his work by high profile collectors, Leonard has become one of the most sought-after artists in the world, collected in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
