Leslie Broughton
Blue Mesa Gallery
"Desert Life"
Artist’s Statement
Through my art, I strive to convey the wonder of the natural world. Art’s colors and forms can evoke visceral feelings such as the fragrance of lilacs at midday, the tingling ocean mist, and the warmth of the sun reflected in a sandstone cliff. Just as music can elicit colors and patterns in its listeners’ minds, the visual arts also possess powers of synesthesia. By tapping into this phenomenon, the artist may engage the viewer in subtle and very personal ways.
Art is a means of sharing and interacting with our fellow human beings, somewhat akin to how the aspen trees support and nourish their neighbors through their intertwining roots. Art is a beautiful way that humans connect and communicate with each other.
The act of painting for me often involves a thoughtful rediscovery of a previously visited locale or an exploration of a new one. My compositions are based on a selection of elements from multiple photographs. Because the creative process of “being in the painting” is immersion in a particular place, I generally work on one piece before beginning another. The real world is my foundation, but I find that its hidden magic can be revealed or magnified by the inclusion of fantastical imagery. While my chosen painting media are acrylics and occasionally watercolors, I also enjoy working in pastels. Which is not to mention photography, which happens every day for me. I am fortunate to live in the high desert region where amazing discoveries exist for anyone who is looking.
As a counterbalance to the mountainous and often arid landscapes that surround me, I enjoy travelling to settings with abundant water such as the rainforests of the Pacific northwest, the waterfalls and ocean waters of Hawaii, and the pine-covered beaches of the Great Lakes, each of which offer a different kind of energy for the mind and the heart. No matter where I am, nature inspires my imagination. In the words of artist Edvard Munch, “Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye...it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.”