Lesley A. Wood
Artist Statement
My artistic ability grew out of my love of horses. When I was very young if I could not be at the local stable taking a riding lesson, I would spend hours in my bedroom drawing horses. I am inspired by the power, grace and beauty of the horse.
All my work has its roots in realism. I am particularly attracted to the fine details in an animal’s fur, horns or eyes. I start my paintings from the subject’s eye and work outward. Once the eye is created, I can feel the presence of the animal emerging on the canvas.
Originally from England I have lived in some beautiful places in my life, Western New York, Colorado, Bermuda, Hawaii, South Florida and now Virginia. I have a small horse farm where I enjoy my own horses and board a few more for clients. I occasionally show my Thoroughbred at the local hunter shows and love to go trail riding,
Pastels
Pastels create a velvety matte finish.
Pastels are traced back to the sixteenth century. During the Renaissance artists such as Chardin, Delacroix, Manet, Renoir and Quentin de la Tour experimented used pastels. They contain dry color pigment that will not yellow, crack or darken over time and are the most permanent of all media when protected by glass. Patels create brilliant colors that represent the texture, tone and structure of the animal’s anatomy realistically.