About

Leonardus Aarts (Leon for short) was born in Christchurch, 1961, to Dutch parents.

Leon  doesn't believe that artists are 'self taught', as he has been privileged over the years to have received tuition from some great artists, such as Alan Pearson (school) and John E.Evans (Papanui High School night classes).  The experience one gains from watching and learning from such gifted artists can only be described as 'priceless'. 

Leon's style of painting is ever changing, as Alan Pearson wrote 'Discovery is the definition of art.'

Over the years Leon has become interested in the works of Wassily Kandinsky, Chagall, Picasso and Leonardus Van de Ven (Leon's Grandfather) 

Abstract Expressionism, Modernism, and Impressionism are isms one cannot deny, influences that will never fade away.

On the internet one notices the huge influx of computer generated art, digital art and the like.  Call Leon old fashioned, but there is nothing quite like walking up to a blank canvas and creating a story with a paint brush and lots of paint.

Yep, there's nothing like it.

Please come inside and take a look and bring your imagination with you. Please take time to study the 'close-ups' in 'Snippets' Gallery, it will give you an in depth view of how the Artist sees his canvas and composition, and today, with the onset of the internet, amazing camera technology, detail and the ability to zoom are influences on how an artist presents his work.