prim·i·tive 1: not derived : original, primary 2: of or relating to the earliest age or period 3: elemental, natural
prim·i·ti·vo studio :: the primitive artwork of leon washington
"My style is primitive, not because it is unsophisticated, but because it comes from a creative spirit deep in my soul. I try always to paint something in a way no one else has ever seen it. Each painting holds the emotions I was feeling while I was painting. Every one of my creations is a very personal communication to the viewer."
Leon is an artist working out of his home studio in San Pedro, California, where he paints visions straight out of his imagination in light, airy colors as a way of escaping the ugliness he has seen in life.
Leon has been painting for over 15 years. He first started painting in a class taught by Lillian Ashton Brooks at the Downey Community Health Center.
Ms. Brooks immediately realized that his artwork was much more than therapy.
"From the beginning, Leon showed an instinctive sense of pattern, space, color and texture. He seemed to know all the things that most talented people go to art school to learn." Lillian Ashton-Brooks.
His art has been shown at the Downey Art Museum, Downey Public Library and Lomita City Hall.
"His talent is intuitive and he is working completely outside the mainstream of art movements. His works provoke strong reactions because they have inherent power. There is also a punch and a magic to his work that is quite uncommon." Scott Ward, director of the Downey Art Museum.
