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Color and light have long characterized the works
of California artist, Leslie Toms. While influenced by
the Society of Six, California Impressionism and local artists
such as: Wayne Thiebaud and Greg Kondos, she has traveled as far
as France to study under other masters. By 1974, she had visited
37 countries while obtaining a B.A. in Art. During one semester
living in Amsterdam, she spent the entire winter sitting in
museums to keep warm. Works by Gauguin, Van Gogh, Rembrandt and
others were her teachers. Upon returning to the United States
she began her career in earnest.
She remembers that time. ”An artist needs to
learn from others but ultimately must reach inside and paint
what is in their soul. I love life and I paint what I love most
about it." Following college she worked in the graphic design
field until 1979, when she left her job to exhibit and sell her
work full time. Known for bold, contemporary etchings,
printmaking eventually gave way to constructed paintings and
monotypes. Nearly ten years had passed when Toms found herself
tired of a confining studio life. She bought a portable easel
and a ticket to Greece. Art and travel became a way of life.
Today, she divides her time between studio and
location painting. As we follow her work over the back roads of
Italy, to a field of lavender in Provence or perhaps to an
umbrella strewn beach in East Hampton, she takes us along. In
her paintings, landscapes and structures predominate; figures
are rarely seen, only implied. Yet we are invited to enter. An
empty chair is left for us to fill. A worn footpath leads us up
to an old villa perched above a grove of olive trees where we
may sit and drink a glass of wine. Through her deft use of color
and light she wills us to celebrate the world around us.
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The Blue Barn - Martinez
Oil on Canvas, 2007
12" x 12"
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Spring - Rachel Rossi Farm
Oil on Canvas, 2007
12" x 12"
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Cordelia Barn
Oil on Canvas, 2007
10" x 10"
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A Fine Day Out
Oil on Canvas, 2006-2007
16" x 20"
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Two Palms - Bear Flag Inn
Oil on Linen, 2007
12" x 10"
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Almost Moonrise - Yosemite
Oil on Canvas, 2007
30" x 40"
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From the Meadow - Yosemite
Oil on Linen, 2007
10" x 12"
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El Capitan - Backlit
Oil on Canvas, 2007
10" x 10"
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Goodnight Lavender
Oil on Canvas, 2007
30" x 40"
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Half Dome
Oil on Canvas, 2007
24" x 24"
(Giclee Available)
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Evening Stroll - Saint Tropez II
Oil on Linen, 2007
30" x 24"
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The Old Mill - Brittany
Oil on Canvas, 2006
8" x 10"
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Mediterranean Hideaway
Oil on Canvas, 2007
24" x 36"
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House in the Vines
Oil on Linen, 2007
10" x 12"
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Study for Wine Country House
Oil on Canvas, 2007
5" x 7"
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Mountain View I
Oil on Canvas, 2007
10" x 10"
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Mountain View II
Oil on Canvas, 2006
10" x 10"
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Summer Morning - Chateau Julien
Oil on Canvas, 2007
12" x 12"
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Pastel Morning - Yosemite Falls
Oil on Canvas, 2007
8" x 10"
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Shed with Blue Roof - Tuscany
Oil on Canvas, 2006
8" x 10"
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House with Three Chimneys
Oil on Canvas, 2006
8" x 10"
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The Red Hill - Yountville
Oil on Canvas, 2007
8" x 10"
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Upper Half - Yosemite Falls
Oil on Canvas, 2007
30" x 30"
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The Vineyard at Bonnieux
Oil on Canvas, 2007
30" x 40"
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The Window - Crockett
Oil on Canvas, 2007
12" x 16"
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Tree and Shadow
Oil on Canvas, 2007
8" x 8"
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Three Trees to Mt. Rose
Oil on Canvas, 2007
16" x 20"
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Uphill House - Tuscany
Oil on Canvas, 2007
24" x 12"
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Morning Shadows - Napa
Oil on Canvas, 2007
16" x 20"
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Yosemite Falls
Oil on Canvas, 2007
16" x 8"
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Barn with Palm (Dixon)
Oil on Canvas, 2007
16" x 20"
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Stacked Up - St. Tropez
Oil on Canvas, 2007
24" x 12"
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Peaceful Harvest
Oil on Canvas, 2007
24" x 48"
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Sidelight - Sunnyside B&B
Oil on Canvas, 2007
12" x 24"
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Lavender & Vines
Oil on Canvas, 2007
12" x 24"
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The Red Roof - Mykonos II
Oil on Canvas, 2007
24" x 48"
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Quiet Afternoon - St. Helena Vineyard
Oil on Canvas, 2007
8" x 24"
(Giclee Available)
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Indicates Item has been sold |
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