Leah Philcox-McCullough

As a child, much of my time was spent sketching, drawing with pen and ink, or oil painting, using subjects around our house, or the forest surrounding it. This interest led to a career in Drafting, then on to study Graphic Arts to develop my creative skills. I studied at, and graduated from Douglas College and then worked in the field of Graphic Arts for over 35 years. I have studied with various artists at the Federation of Canadian Artists. 

Today composition and accuracy in drawing are the most important aspects of my paintings. I work hard to put down a strong foundation for each piece so no matter what medium or technique I choose to work in there is a consistent quality. Also a strong contrast between light and shadow helps to give depth to the subject matter, especially small children. As in early years, subjects are taken from my everyday life, usually my family, our surroundings and experiences. I still love to draw the human body, especially children. Capturing their movement and intensity while playing is a constant challenge.

When working on a still life, for example, I like to use objects that have particular interest to me or to the person for whom I am doing a commission piece. I find great satisfaction in doing a painting that has special meaning for the owner.