Leanne Venier

"My paintings represent an ongoing quest to understand the human psyche and to reveal that which cannot be expressed with words. I strive to tap into the natural creative energy that is shared by and connects all living things and transfer this onto the canvas; my work is intended to be as subtly nourishing and enriching to my viewers as it is to me. Every time I start a new painting, I take a leap of faith to allow this creative energy to flow through me and the paint, and to communicate something vital to the viewer -- without naturalistic imagery or symbols, but rather with pure visual form, like music."

Throughout my lifetime, I’ve been fascinated by the human psyche and its connection to physical illness.  My ongoing studies in Jungian psychology, dream interpretation, Eastern philosophy, the I Ching, mandala drawing, numerous types of alternative/holistic medicine (including acupuncture), as well as my active meditation practice, have served to answer many of my own personal questions in understanding this realm. 

I've also always always been interested in how our emotions are affected by color and I've spent the past twenty years studying how various colors are tied into our psyche and how they also affect us on a physical and psychoemotional level. We are, in fact, so influenced by color that by noticing which colors we're drawn to at any given time, we can understand where we need to bring balance into our lives and into the energies that flow through our physical bodies. Having color in our lives, can literally heal our bodies and our souls.

As a scientist and former mechanical engineer designing submarines, it has also been important for me to understand the science and physics behind how color, light frequencies and artwork can actually heal us. In my eternal quest for knowledge, I've done much research in this realm and now present the science behind these healing effects in exhibition format, partnering my research with my artwork at major medical centers.

Regarding my painting process:

Carl Jung, the famous psychiatrist and originator of Jungian psychology, describes the ‘collective unconscious’ as the ‘reservoir of the experiences of our species’. I initially discovered this realm, often referred to as 'flow state', while studying classical piano at a very early age. While playing, I often had the experience of the music playing through me rather than myself playing the piano, and I would experience a sensation of deep inter-connectedness with this ‘greater consciousness’. Now, through meditation and my artwork, it is easier for me to access this feeling, but to articulate the experience in simple words continues to be nearly impossible. So, it is through my painting that I find a language and vocabulary to express some of what I’ve gleaned – including an indisputable feeling that all living things are inter-connected and inseparable.

When I begin an abstract painting, I always start by noticing which principal color I'm being drawn to on that day, and that's where I begin, by working with that particular color. I have no attachment to (and usually no idea of) the final outcome. I relax into a meditative state and step completely out of the way of my ego to allow whatever wants to come forth to be expressed through the language of the oil paint. 

After that, it’s up to the viewer to interpret what is revealed on the canvas. The titles I give my paintings are also completely abstract and open to interpretation -- as such, each person viewing the work is permitted to take away a message that is completely personal to him or her.


"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite."
-- William Blake

Artists and others who inspire my work: