About

Leanne Bandstra is a western Canadian artist, born and raised in Pacific Northwestern British Columbia. She uses acrylic on canvas as her primary medium, painting with both brushes and palette knives. Leanne currently works and resides in New Westminster, B.C.

Artist Statement

From a young age I was engaged in art, being encouraged by family and teachers to pursue my love for drawing and painting. While I have been dabbling in art all my life, it is in the last several years that I have really turned my focus to painting, and am continually working to improve my artistry and expand my knowledge.

Some artists that have influenced my work include Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, and Emily Carr. Seeing how these great artists interpreted the Canadian landscape is a wonderful inspiration in my own exploration of the subject.

Having lived in western Canada my entire life, my natural inclination is to paint what I know: mountains, rivers, and other nature that surrounds me. I am also drawn towards painting people, who provide endless opportunities for painting, as each person’s face and body is unique. The goal of much of my work is not to create an exact likeness of a landscape or person, but rather to play with vibrant, and at times unrealistic, colours and shapes to explore what insights or emotions these may evoke from the subject at hand.