Leona Wood is the first publication to present a comprehensive overview of the work of the noted contemporary Northwest artist, designer, illustrator, writer, dancer, and choreographer. She painted subjects from Middle Eastern dancers to still lifes, masked aristocrats to female nudes. Her work was labeled “like an Old Master” in gallery reviews. Over 40 full-color, high-resolution images provide a representative selection of her styles and subjects spanning over half a century. Included are many paintings from her private collection that have never been exhibited or reproduced. A preface by the editors includes a detailed biography of the artist. “We marvel as our eyes follow the turning of a form from its most brightly lighted surface until it is almost lost in its darker envelope. No accidents in line, color, or texture are tolerated. Here are the pleasures of the slow-moving eye, neglected in our speedy age, and the craftsmanship to reveal them.”
―Arthur Millier, American Artist “Wherever her paintings have been shown, the same charmed words show up in the talk of the viewers…’like an Old Master.’”
―Jonathan Maass, American Artist Born and raised in Washington state, Leona Wood (1921-2007) was strongly influenced by Japanese and Pacific Northwest art. She was later inspired by the works of Balthus, de Chirico, Goya, and Ingres. Her works were shown in galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco and at the Spoleto Art Festival, among other locales. In addition to her paintings, Wood was also a designer, illustrator, writer, teacher, dancer, choreographer, and co-founder of the famed Aman International Folk Ensemble. Aisha Ali, Mardi Rollow, and Susan Marshall were students of the artist.