When you place boundaries around an object or shape, you create a world within a world. Enclosure doesn‘t only limit or prevent escape; it allows something new to happen within that space. And the interior space is not necessarily lesser than what surrounds it. These works all explore the paradox of enclosure: the canvas is broken up through numerous color blocks and collaged elements, each color or image allowed fullness while adding to the rhythm of the greater painting. I explore and enjoy colors in my abstract paintings. The landscape images are similarly interrupted with collaged papers, inviting an enjoyment of the surface and a delight in color; the overall image remains, but the interruptions invite an exploration beyond the familiar landscape icon. I like large skies in my landscapes because they help me relax and find “head space“ in an often hectic daily life. artist bio Award-winning artist Leslie Banta exhibited for nine years in the Washington, DC metro area before moving to the Shenandoah Valley in 2005. She earned a BFA in Painting from Birmingham-Southern College in Alabama, where she grew up. Northern Virginia abstract painter Joyce McCarten mentored her after college, and at the Corcoran College of Art & Design in Washington, DC, she took post-graduate work with fellow Alabama native Bill Christenberry and collage guru Mindy Weisel. British artist Richard Kenton Webb helped her to see 'colour‘ in a new way, and greatly influenced her palette. She lives in Staunton, Virginia with her husband the nearly famous writer and their two sons, the international forces of nature. They own and operate Staunton Art Supply on N. Central Avenue in downtown Staunton.   http://www.joycemccarten.com/home.htmlhttp://www.christenberryonline.com/http://www.mindyweisel.com/http://www.richardkentonwebb.com/shapeimage_10_link_0shapeimage_10_link_1shapeimage_10_link_2shapeimage_10_link_3
 
contact Leslie mailto:bantar@earthlink.net?subject=lesliebanta.com%20enquirymailto:leslie.banta@gmail.com?subject=lesliebanta.com%20queryshapeimage_12_link_0
artist statement
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leslie banta
‘I see...world within world, Narnia within Narnia.' ‘Yes,' said Mr. Tumnus, 'like an onion: except that as you go in and in, each circle is larger than the last.' ~ C.S. Lewis The Last Battle