Leigh Witherell
About
Leigh is an emerging artist here on the Space Coast…
… and she has always had a love of art, so much so that she added a Fine Arts minor to her BA in English before going on to receive her MA in Literature. She relocated to Florida in 2018 with her husband, finding the perfect home with a studio for her artwork. Leighs’ art is strongly influenced by the Melancholic style. She loves creating pieces, especially large ones, that people can connect with, and she loves hearing other interpretations of her work. She says it is thrilling to hear how something she created affects the person studying it.
Inspiration: Much of Leigh’s inspiration comes from a very personal space. She has used her artistic endeavors to help her work through the devastation of losing her only daughter, Amanda, on April 8, 2021. Leigh has channeled many of the feelings that grieving parents feel into her newest pieces to create what she hopes are visions not only of pain, but also hope. Her favorite story to tell is of how her daughter would recall to her friends that her fondest childhood moments were spent creating art next to her mother. It is in her studio that Leigh feels most connected to her daughter. Mother and daughter were going to share space in her studio and create art together, but the universe had other plans. So, Leigh has decided to forge ahead in her daughter’s memory and create the visions they always planned together and this time they would be peers as Amanda was quite the artist on her own.
Focus: Leigh’s focus has been to let loose of any boundaries she places on her creativity and to just create. A famous quote from one of her favorite artists, Edgar Degas has become her guiding mantra. “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see” is what she aspires for her creations. She hopes that through her visions she will start a conversation and inspire others.
Artist Statement
Painting in the melancholic style is a captivating and emotive genre that evokes a sense of sadness and introspection. This artistic approach often utilizes muted colors, somber tones, and shadowy imagery to convey a mood of melancholy and introspection. Artists who delve into this style explore themes such as loss, solitude, longing, and the transient nature of life. From the brushstrokes to the subject matter, every element in these paintings is carefully crafted to evoke a deep emotional response from the viewer. The melancholic style serves as a powerful medium for artists to express their innermost thoughts and feelings, creating a profound connection between the artwork and its audience. This is where award winning artist Leigh Witherell lives.
Her understanding of vulnerability is a powerful therapeutic tool that informs her artistic practice. She specializes in having the ability to show what is raw emotional response in her compositions. For Leigh, this process mirrors grief, a central experience in her life following the loss of her daughter Amanda in a tragic automobile accident in April 2021.
Art has long been recognized as a powerful form of therapy, enabling individuals to express and process complex emotions. Through melancholic compositions, artists delve into the depths of their souls, unveiling raw and authentic emotions. By embracing sadness, artists create a safe space to confront and release their inner turmoil. These compositions convey a profound sense of vulnerability and invite viewers to connect on a deeply emotional level. The brushstrokes, color palettes, and textures reflect the artist's state of mind, allowing for a cathartic experience. Art as therapy not only offers solace to the creator but also resonates with audiences, fostering empathy and understanding in a world where emotions are often suppressed.
Leigh creates art in observance of her daughter’s wishes and memory while also seeking to spark conversations that acknowledge the isolating process grieving parents must go through and how art is a powerful tool to reframe pain.