Anne Leveque's Abstract Paintings Blend Dance, Nature, and Layered Color

California artist Anne Leveque specializes in large-scale oil paintings that blend abstract landscapes with non-objective expression. Her technique involves layering up to thirty coats of paint directly from the tube, which she then manipulates through methods such as wiping, scraping, and sanding. With a background in classical ballet and modern dance from the Royal London Ballet and Martha Graham School, she has performed globally. Leveque holds an MFA from UCLA and has taught at various universities. Residing in a log cabin on twenty-two acres of forest, she shares her space with a black bear. Influenced by her grandfather, a watercolorist who turned down a Disney offer, she avoided black paint for years but now considers using black India ink. Her passion for large-format painting was sparked by a solo exhibition from Richard Diebenkorn. She has shown her work in locations including Hong Kong, Bangkok, Napa Valley, Sacramento, and Redding, and has also ventured into sculpture, with bronze-cast wax models displayed in the Rotunda of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Leveque authored 'Syllables,' a book that merges her paintings with poetry, focusing on themes of breath, stillness, and emotional openness to engage viewers in reflective experiences.