James Leonard is one of California’s leading abstract expressionist painters. Working with an extended palette knife and acrylics on canvas, he creates bold horizontal and vertical strokes in strong colors in order to trigger the viewer’s emotions. This basic movement is complicated by the inventive layering of dropped, speckled and fragmented colors that create a sense of additional depth.Leonard says, "I’m pulling paint, layering one layer at a time, which creates a sense of history in the painting. It’s like looking at a fence post that’s been repainted over a period of time. You can see the different colors and layers.Leonard’s paintings have ambient landscape qualities and can have thirty or forty layers in one painting. His final touch employs a technique he calls sgrafito – scraping lines through the upper layers, so the colors of the ground layers show through. The German painter Gerhard Richer has influenced his style, approach, and directness.James Leonard’s paintings have been exhibited internationally. His works also reside in private and corporate art collections across the United States and Europe.MUSEUM AND JURIED EXHIBITIONS2018 ART BASEL RED DOT ART FAIR, MIAMI, FLORIDA2018 ART MARKET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA.2017 ART MARKET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA.2013 INTERNATIONAL ART SAN DIEGO, SAN DIEGO, CA.2012 ART BASEL MIAMI, MIAMI, FLORIDA2012 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION BOLD EXPRESSIONS CARMICHAEL CA.2010 ANDREWS ART MUSEUM, EXHIBITION, ANDREWS, NC2005 ALAMEDA ART CENTER “CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACTS” JUROR: KENNETH BAKER, ART CRITIC, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE2004 SAN DIEGO ART INSTITUTE, MUSEUM OF THE LIVING ARTIST 47TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, SAN DIEGO, CA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE2004 ALBANY MUSEUM, INSTITUTE OF HISTORY & ART, ALBANY, NY2002 BELLEVUE ART MUSEUM, EXHIBITOR, BELLEVUE, WA2001 PALM SPRINGS DESERT MUSEUM, 32ND ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION, ARTISTS COUNCIL AWARD2001 BELLEVUE ART MUSEUM, EXHIBITOR BELLEVUE, WA2000 SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF ART: ALL CALIFORNIA JURIED EXHIBITION, SILVER AWARD1999 AWARD FROM THE ARTIST’S MAGAZINE, BEST EXPERIMENTAL CATEGORY AWARDSOLO EXHIBITIONS2018 AVRAN ART GALLERY, LAGUNA BEACH, CA.2017 DOUGLAS FLANDERS, MINNEAPOLIS, MN.2016 AVRAN ART GALLERY, LAGUNA BEACH, CA.2015 DOUGLAS FLANDERS, MINNEAPOLIS, MN2014 AVRAN ART, LAGUNA BEACH, CA.2013 CHLOE ART GALLERY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA.2012 AVRAN ART GALLERY, LAGUNA BEACH, CA2011 THORNWOOD ART GALLERY, HOUSTON, TX.2010 DOUGLAS FLANDERS ART, MINNEAPOLIS, MN2010 GALLERY BERGELLI, LARKSPUR, CA2010 RUE 32 GALLERY, DENVER, CO2009 DOUGLAS FLANDERS ART, MINNEAPOLIS, MN2009 GALLERY BERGELLI, LARKSPUR, CA2009 GALLERY MENSING, BERLIN, GERMANY2008 DOUGLAS FLANDERS SOUTHEBYS MINNEAPOLIS, MN.2008 NUSSBAUMER FINE ART, SANTA FE, NM2008 GALLERY BERGELLI, LARKSPUR, CA2007 SOREN CHRISTENSON, NEW ORLEANS, LA2006 MELANIE COOPER, CHICAGO, ILL2006 GALLERY BERGELLI, LARKSPUR, CA2006 MARION MEYERS, LAGUNA BEACH, CA2005 JOSEPH GIEREK, TULSA, OK2005 MARION MEYERS, LAGUNA BEACH, CA2004 GALLERY BLUE, KANSAS CITY, MI2003 ART WORKS, VANCOUVER, BC2003 MELANIE COOPER, CHICAGO, ILL2002 R.DUANE REED GALLERY, ST.LOUIS, MO2002 GALLERY BERGELLI, LARKSPUR, CA2002 MARION MEYERS, LAGUNA BEACH, CA2001 GALLERY BERGELLI, LARKSPUR, C2000 FREDRICK CLEMENT, MONTCLARE, NJ1999 BLUE MOUNTAIN GALLERY, NEW YORK, NY1997 CHARLES HESPE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA1997 LISA STEINMETZ GALLER, ST. LOUIS, MO1996 CARTHEW THOMPSON, BEVERLY HILLS1996 LYA ART GALLERY SANTA FE, NM1996 DELPHINE GALLERY, SANTA BARBARA, CA1995 CHARLES HESPE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA1995 LYA GALLERY, SANTA FE, NM1995 DELPHINE GALLERY, SANTA BARBARA, CA1994 DELPHINE GALLERY, SANTA BARBARA, CAGROUP EXHIBITIONS2015 DOUGLAS FLANDERS, MINNEAPOLIS, MN2014 AVRAN ART, LAGUNA BEACH, CA.2012 NEW ACQUISITONS, FLANDERS MINNEAPOLIS, MN2011 HENNES ART CO, MINNEAPOLIS, MN2011 JOSEPH GIEREK, TULSA, OK.2010 SOREN CHRISTENSON NEW ORLEANS, LA2009 EDGE GALLERY, PHILADELPHIA, PA2009 LAKES’ SOTHEBYS, EDINA, MN2008 ART WORKS, VANCOUVER, BC2007 MENSING GALLERY, FRANKFURT, GERMANY2006 ART WORKS, VANCOUVER, BC2005 MELANIE COOPER, CHICAGO, ILL2004 BENNETT ST. GALLERY, ATLANTA, GA2003 IN GOOD COMPANY, BOSTON, MA2002 MALTON GALLERY, CINCINNATI, OH2001 PONCHO INVITATIONAL FINE ART, SEATTLE, WA2001 SCULPTURE SHOWCASE, NEW HOPE, PA2000 BERGELLI GALLERY, LARKSPUR, CA1999 WORLD VIEW, ETHNIC DIVERSITY & NEW HORIZONS FOR THEMILLENNIUM, DANVILLE, CA1997 ART JONCTION, NICE, FRANCE1996 MACROMEDIA, SAN FRANCISCO, CACOLLECTIONSAPPLE CORP, JEFF WILLIAMS C.O.O.3I CORPORATION, WALTHAM, MAABRY PARTNERS, BOSTON, MAACADIAN ASSET MANAGEMENT INC., BOSTON, MAADOBE SYSTEMS, SAN FRANCISCO, CAALUMAX CORP. HEADQUARTERS, ATLANTA, GAANDREW SPANGLER, SPANGLER LAW P.C. LONGVIEW, TEXASANDREW & ANN H. 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HAMILTON, BERMUDACRITICAL REVIEWSGALLERIES WEST MAGAZINE 2012VALLEY SENTINEL, PLEASANTON, CA 2012ARTNEWS MAGAZINE 2010URBAN TULSA WEEKLY, TULSA, OK 2010BOTTOM LINE, PALM DESSERT, 2008CONTRA COSTA TIMES, 2006SAN DIEGO NEWS, 2004LAGUNA NEWS POST, 2000THE ARTISTS MAGAZINE, 1999WWW. ABOUT.COM, 1999THE SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN, AUGUST,1998THE GUILD, 1998ART EXPRESSIONS MAGAZINE, JUNE, 1997THE ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH, JUNE, 1997