Seeking adventure nine years ago, Kippi Leonard liquidated her interior design company, then explored Italy, solo. This led her to her true calling. “It’s where I met myself for the first time,” she says.” It was the bravest thing I ever did. I haven’t looked back since.”

Leonard’s life changed the moment she saw Michelangelo’s discarded carvings at the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence. “It overwhelmed me,” she says. “He started with nothing, then made something so incredible, and with practice he ended up in a museum.”

Inspired by what she had seen, for the next three weeks Leonard immersed herself in art, visiting museums, galleries and Italian architecture throughout the country.

Returning to Camas, Washington, her hometown, and determined to create a new future as an artist, she purchased charcoal and pastels. First she drew people, places and things, but her discovery of inks made her art come to life. “My art reflects my heart and personality,” she says. 

Her abstract paintings, which have broad appeal, are described as ethereal and grounding. Brigitte Lehnert, co-owner of Flow Modern Gallery at Palm Springs says, “She uses layered materials of oil, oil pastels, charcoal, desert sand and a sgraffiato technique to cut back into the paintings to reveal what is underneath. The paintings have depth and texture and are both strong and light.” 

Leonard first showed her works on Instagram and was soon discovered by the Seattle Art Source in Washington, who then represented her. 

Talking about her creative process, Leonard says, “The first thing I do when I arrive at my studio each day is to turn on music, something that will influence the tone, composition, and mood of my current series of paintings.” Then she writes – poetry or a phrase that comes to her mind, reflecting something that either she or the world is going through, before starting to paint. 

“It’s spontaneous,” she says. “I’m willing to wreck it if my core intentions are not there. I just paint and paint.”

The prolific artist moved to the desert three years ago. “I was tired of the rain in Washington, and wanted to live somewhere where it was sunny.” she says. “The desert drew me in with its beautiful blue skies and stunning mountain views. The lure of the desert, even with its harsh elements, feeds my soul and I infuse those emotions into my art.” 

Leonard’s work can be seen at the Flow Modern Gallery at Palm Springs and the Seattle Art Source Gallery. You can also drop by her studio on Monday through Saturday, either by appointment or by chance.