A&D Gallery
51 Chiltern Street
London
W1U 6LY
United Kingdom
Sara Leighton's latest exhibition, at the A&D Gallery, resonates with a passion for all that she loves in life, from the beauty of wildlife and nature, a fascination for the magical and mysterious to the innocent joys of childhood.
After studying at St Martins School of Art, Sara was invited by the great Italian painter Pietro Anigonni to become his pupil in Florence. On her return to London she found fame as a portrait painter, numbering HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Baroness Thatcher, Sir Michael Redgrave, Sir Michael Caine and Lady Forsythe among her patrons.
Her range of subjects is extensive and she uses all mediums, from oils and watercolour to complicated mixed media to achieve remarkable effects of layered colour.
When in Florence, Anigonni shared with her his philosophy 'Some times you must paint like a lunatic and sometimes like an accountant'. Sara has used this advice to great effect, as can be seen in the freedom of her skies, raging seas and in the ephemeral mixed media of the Dreamscapes, which is contrasted by acutely observer detail in her wildlife and portraiture.
As one critic observed, 'Sara Leighton's work speaks to the heart and enchants the eye.' We hope that you will agree.