Leslie Cleary love’s to create paintings that enable people to continuously enjoy their favourite NZ coastal landscapes. Specialising in commissions, she paint’s scenes from dawn to dusk of clients’ favourite views from images taken of the area. Working closely with Leslie, the clients get to choose the colours and size best suited for the room in which the painting will be displayed. Leslie ensures they get the best possible result – an amazing piece of art that they will treasure forever. Her commission work costs no more than buying from a gallery wall.
Leslie is a Whangarei landscape artist who has been capturing scenes of Waipu and Mangawhai for many years, specialising in commissions. A long-time Waipu local, Leslie and her husband moved to Onerahi several years ago. She has never tired of painting her former stomping ground, working from her home studio and gallery Leslie says she welcomes the new challenges and beauty the Whangarei Heads scenery brings.
I have always revelled in the beauty of nature, and love being able to celebrate it through my art.
The Northland coastal areas have so many unique and stunning features. I especially enjoy capturing them on canvas for the people who love them. I enable people who have lived in the area and had to move away, or who have visited and been captivated by these places, to take these loved views with them to their new homes. That is very satisfying.”
Her preferred medium is oils “I love their flexibility, and the depth that can be achieved. There is ample drying time with oils, which enables me to blend and layer colours to capture the atmosphere, essence and delicate qualities of each scene.”
Leslie has never known a time when art hasn’t featured in her life: “It drives my days.”
“I vividly recall the day I decided to ‘be an artist’ when, at 10 years old, I was taken by my father to a small art exhibition in Te Kuiti and a painting of autumn trees caught my eye. Growing up in the remote West Coast King Country, I was surrounded by beautiful land and seascapes which inspired my artistic expression.”
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Visitors are most welcome to my Whangarei home-based studio and gallery by appointment. It is located in Church Street Onerahi a 2 minute drive from Whangarei Airport.
If you have any questions, would like to enquire about paintings, limited edition prints, a special commission piece, or would like to visit please phone, message or email, I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Contact phone numbers 021 0261 3265