robin leonard
special collection

Robin Leonard came to Cornwall in 1981 having studied at Dunstable Art and Design College, Beds. Captivated by the variety of material in the Cornish landscape he began to work in watercolour. He had his first solo exhibition at The East Hill Gallery, St Austell; became illustrator for the Saint’s Way project working on the Cornish footpath between Padstow and Fowey and spent many years working and showing in and around Fowey. After escaping to Switzerland, he returned to Cornwall for inspiration in 2006 and now lives in St Austell with his daughters.

Exhibitions-one man shows

East Hill Gallery, St Austell 1983
Wheal Martin Museum, Carthew 1985
R.B.A. Mall Galleries, London 1991
King Georges Fund for Sailors 1992-1997. Plymouth and Falmouth
Falmouth Arts Centre 1998
Falmouth Art Gallery, Foyer Exhibition 1999
Tregony Gallery, Trewithen, Truro. July 2000
St Austell Brewery, October 2000
Lanescot House 2001 and 2002
Lanhydrock Gallery June 2004
Lanhydrock Gallery In Transition December 2004-February 2005
Veryan Gallery, Rediscovering Cornwall July 2008
Fowey Robin Leonard Fund raising event
for the RNLI and Fowey Church roof Aug 2009

“The painting takes command over the details of the subject and I am prepared to change anything to make it work. I work best directly from life. Nature prompts me to use up some paint in a way, which is flowing rather than relying on some stifled, disciplined formula. I enjoy the challenge of an unusual subject or composition. If the solution isn’t obvious I have to find it. The creative process is the alchemy of interpretation, emotion, accident and conviction.

“Sometimes my paintings are open to more than one interpretation. There may be unexpected twists within the traditional structure of the painting. I encourage this as it may be revealing some truth about the subject or me. I like when somebody sees something I had not seen. I take chances; I have failures and learn from them as I do the successes. This is traditional landscape painting on the edge of abstraction.

“Whilst finding my own way, developing my own vision it is most rewarding when people tell me I have helped them to see differently.”

Robin Leonard, February 2010