Leeke’s Cherry Grove Landscape Sells During Exhibit

The Florence Museum of Art accepted Alicia Leeke’s landscape painting “Cherry Grove” into its Annual Miniature Art Competition which was on display November 1– December 21, 2008.

The competition now in its 20th year, began as a fundraiser by the Friends of the Florence Museum to create awareness and appreciation of art in the community.

The event was judged by professional, realist painter William McCullough who lives and works in Williamsburg County and Southern France. He hand-picked 54 pieces for the exhibit from artists across the nation

And the best news? Leeke’s painting Cherry Grove purchased during the show!

Courtyard Art Gallery Adds Leeke to Repitoire

Charleston, South Carolina's Courtyard Art Gallery is pleased to announce the addition of its newest artist Alicia Leeke.

Leeke's new textural abstract landscape paintings add new depth and a fresh approach to Charleston's art scene. Her current body of work, now on display at the gallery, focuses on peaceful marsh scenes and estuaries around the Low Country.

Courtyard Art Gallery is located in the French Quarter of historic downtown Charleston South Carolina and features the fine art of 16 local artists. The gallery showcases paintings, paper sculpture, pottery, jewelry, and photography as well as works in mixed media.

Courtyard Art Gallery is located at 149 ½ East Bay Street. Hours are 10:00 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Art Magazine Determines Leeke’s Work to have definite Signature Style

Charleston’s Art Magazine, published by Renaissance Media announced eight artists with signature styles in its Fall 2008 issue.

Known as “the bible to the Charleston art scene,” Art magazine highlights the happenings of visual, culinary, performing and wearable arts. It is a virtual who’s who of venues, artists and the galleries that represent them in the Charleston, S.C. area.

In it’s most recent issue, publisher Olivia Pool points out eight artists with very distinctive styles that set themselves apart by the very nature of their brush stokes, separating them from the rest of the pack. Included in this outstanding group are: John Sheran, Peter O’ Neill, Wilfred Spoon, Don Dahlke, Loet Vanderveen, John Stobart, Alicia Leeke and DAB.

So what exactly is a signature style?

For someone to have a signature style means you can look at their body of work or several pieces of their work and almost immediately know that it is exclusively theirs. It is like a handwritten signature that you sign on a check or your fingerprint. Each artist has developed their own style which sets them apart from what others are creating.

To give you a better understanding of signature styles take a further look at these other famous painters: Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Toulouse Lautrec, Degas, Andy Warhol, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’ Keeffe, Dorothea Lange, Freida Kahlo, Suzanne Valadon, and Helen Frankenthaler.

Painters are typically what one thinks of first in terms of a signature style, but other corollaries can be seen in the works of other creative fields such as jewelry designer David Yurman, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, composer Mozart, designers Christopher Lowell and Ty Pennington, Comedian Eddie Izzard and Madonna to name a few.

Why is having a signature style important?

First of all, it says to the world that these artists have a unique, consistent style. This is important because galleries find it easier to market to collectors on their salability. From a collectability standpoint, these works usually increase in value as an art investment.

Lake Carolina Wine Festival to Auction Original Wine Art by Alicia Leeke

October is ushering in cooler weather and fall colors just in time for Lake Carolina's Sixth Annual Wine Festival which will be held Sunday, October 19, 2008 from 2:30 - 5:30 pm.

The event takes place on Lake Carolina's lush Harborside Village Green where patrons can listen to jazz and enjoy great art and food while tasting over 100 wines under pointed white tents with billowing table linens topped with Fall flowers.

Special to the event is the 2008 Fall Wine Festival Poster designed by South Carolina artist Alicia Leeke. The original will be auctioned off during the silent auction along with other noted artists and home decor items.

Funds raised from the auction will benefit Children's Charities of the Midlands, one of the Northeast area's signature charitable events sponsored by Essex Homes. All patrons will receive a souvenir wine glass to commemorate the event.

Tickets are $30.00 in advance, or $40.00, the day of the Festival and include complimentary valet parking. Tickets may be purchased on-line at http://www.lakecarolina.com/ or by calling (803) 461-9586. Reserved tables are available which include a special VIP Pre-Party with food and private tastings.

Be sure to visit Alicia's website to view other wine related art, signed, limited edition giclees and original art at http://www.alicialeeke.com/print.shtml.

Get Ready for the Fur Ball!

Plan on attending Project Pet’s annual Fur Ball Moonlight Gala Saturday, October 11, 2008 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center at 7:30pm. It is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Called the Gala that everyone talks about year round, the Fur Ball is filled with dancing, dining and delights for all with fabulous silent and live auction items. For Bird lovers or anyone in the market for a cool piece of art that would look great in the kitchen, I have donated a colorful and festive monotype entitled "The Bird from Bangladesh VI." This piece is inspired by Indian drawings and textiles and is on 100 percent cotton with an off white matte and black frame. You can see an image of it on my website at http://www.alicialeeke.com/monotype.shtml.

Other fabulous auction items include a spectacular 5600 square foot villa in the West Indies that ordinarily rents for $2000 per night (visit at http://www.capcana.com/) along with other international trips to Portugal, Cabo San Lucas and more! Maybe you’re in the market for a new boat or personal watercraft -- wait until you see what's in store for you! All proceeds benefit Project Pet’s life-saving efforts so bid for a good cause!

Tickets are available for $100 each or $175 for two. Click http://ppet.convio.net/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=100129 to buy your tickets.

NONNAH'S ADDS ARTIST ALICIA LEEKE TO GALLERY

Nonnah's in the Columbia Vista area is pleased to announce the addition of artist Alicia Leeke to the gallery. She joins other artists: Michel McNinch, Bonnie Goldberg, Edie Biddel, Ingrid Carson, Marcia Murry, Betty Mandel, Bob Lancaster and Jan Fleetwood.

Leeke will be showing a varety of works that will rotate including landscapes, the Divas, abstracts and Cityscapes. While she prefers to paint landscapes and quaint street scenes she also strives to capture the essence of every-day events, converting ordinary scenes into lively images. She manipulates acrylics to capture the thick rich texture of oils and mixes a palette full of rich reds, vibrant oranges, shocking blues and sharp white accents.Her gentle distortions of linear perspective are a fundamental element to the overall design of her creations and are a necessary ingredient in the composition of her pieces.

If you’ve already been to Nonnah’s you know what a great addition its been to The Vista. A lite supper menu, full service bar with a wonderful list of wines, big frothy cappuccinos and desserts to die for! We’ve got a little bit of everything plus a relaxed elegant atmosphere that combines warmth and sophistication.

Founded in 1996, and always family owned, Nonnah's was one of the first restaurants to set up shop in the Vista. Nonnah's continues to impress the citizens of Columbia with our spectacular desserts (voted "Best of Columbia" nine years in a row by Free Times, The State Newspaper and The Columbia Metropolitan Magazine), exotic imported coffees and large selection of dinner and lunch items.

Nonnah’s opens at 11:30 AM for lunch Monday thru Friday and is open until 2:00PM. We open again at 5:00 PM and dinner is served from 5PM on. Monday through Thursday we are open until 11:00PM. Friday & Saturday until 12:30AMNonnah's is conveniently located at 930 Gervais Street in Columbia, South Carolina.

CHARLESTON ARTIST GUILD GALLERY FEATURES

The Charleston Artist Guild Gallery in Charleston, SC, will present the exhibit, Coastal Inspirations, featuring works by South Carolina artist, Alicia Leeke. The exhibition will be marked with an opening preview reception from 5-8 p.m. held September 12. The exhibit will continue until September 30.

Using the term she coined for a new era of art, called “Fabaism,” Leeke offers her personal interpretations of Charleston and transforms familiar scenes into modern-day masterpieces. This new body of work focuses on the impact color and abstraction has on landscape painting.

The artists' love of the coast extends back into early childhood where family vacations were spent exploring the woods, dunes and tides of South Carolina’s coast.
Called a Contemporary Master, her creativity is inspired by the French Salon painters and how they captured history, social conscience and architecture by painting the people and environments surrounding them.

Complementing each painting is a robust combination of dry brush painting techniques to create texture. She manipulates acrylics to capture the thick rich texture of oils and mixes a palette full of rich reds, vibrant oranges, shocking blues and sharp white accents.

Her gentle distortions of linear perspective are a fundamental element to the overall design of her creations and are a necessary ingredient in the composition of her pieces. In fact, they create such a positive visual response that many viewers want to step inside each painting.

The gallery is open Monday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and is located at 6 North Atlantic Wharf, off East Bay Street and across from a convenient parking garage.

You may contact Alicia about her paintings by calling (803) 429-5456, 888-429-5456, via email at leekeka@hotmail.com or by visiting her website at http://www.alicialeeke.com/.

Landscapes Move to New Location in the Vista

Landscape Artwork by Alicia Leeke Now Carried at Nonnah's in the Vista

Nonnah's at 930 Gervais Street in the Congaree Vista has juried the artwork of South Carolina artist Alicia Leeke into its Gallery. This marks a move from the former location at Fontenay on Devine Street, notes Leeke who will continue to display a few prints at Fontenay.

Currently on display at Nonnah's are a few original Divas, landscapes and historical sketches of Bishopville, SC.

Nonnah's is located in the historic Congaree Vista of Columbia, South Carolina and has always been a top spot in the Vista for lunch. Nonnah's has been voted BEST DESSERTS by the Columbia Free Times nine years in a row.

Alicia's work can be seen street front in the window at 930 Gervais St, between Park St and Lincoln St., but be sure to go inside for a closer view. All works are available for purchase and Works change frequently. For directions, go to http://maps.google.com/.

Hours are: Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p..m.-11 p.m.; Fri 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5: p.m.-12:30 a.m.; Sat 6 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

Other paintings of Alicia's are available at the House Brand Furniture Store in Columbia, The Charleston Artists Guild Gallery in Charleston, SC and by appointment. For more information visit www.alicialeeke.com.

Lake Murray Magazine Writes Feature Article on Leeke

Leeke Juried into Two Noteworthy Statewide Art Competitions

Alicia was recently juried into two of South Carolina's most prestegious art shows. The first is the Piccolo Spoleto 24th Annual Juried Art Exhibition with the theme of "Vanishing Landscapes,” in Charleston, SC which will be on display May 23 – June 7, 2008. Be sure to look for her piece "Wetlands Landscape" which is also for sale.

Visual Arts: Vanishing Landscapes - Coordinated by the Coastal Conservation League and juried by Dr. Mokhless Al-Hariri, “Vanishing Landscapes,” this year’s theme will showcase works of S.C. artists in two dimensions, three dimensions, and photography related to the state of our planet and its environment. Opening reception May 22, 5-7 p.m. On view through June 7. Through August 8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (843) 724- 7305, http://www.piccolospoleto.com/. City Gallery at Waterfront Park, 34 Prioleau St., (Downtown), (843) 724-7305.

Another painting "The Holy City" (featured under the painting section of this website) was juried into the Florence Museum's 30th Annual State Art Competition. The Holy City, which is available for purchase, will be on display through June 15, 2008.She has also been recognized as an Emerging Artist finalist in Charlotte by Red Sky Gallery, was the Summerville, SC Flowertown Festival Run Art Contest Winner in April 2005 and received Purchase Patron Awards from the South Carolina State Fair in 2007 and 2004 and Second Place in the 2007 SC State Fair for one of her Birds from Bangladesh.

Open Studios in Columbia South Carolina May 3-4 2008

Visit Artists in their Studios During Open Studios 2008

Columbia Open Studios 2008 will take place the first Saturday and Sunday May 3 and 4. For the event, 75 artists from the city of Columbia and Lexington and Richland counties, South Carolina, will open their studio to the public from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 12:00 - 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Like last year, the event's first year, the Open Studios organization has produced a special tabloid publication listing participating artists and their contact information, images of their work, maps of the area and directions to the artists' studios.

The Open Studios tabloid will be distributed with Columbia's The State newspaper and through art institutions across the state as well as a bookstores, frame shops, etc., throughout the South Carolina Midlands. Copies of the tabloid can be ordered by calling (803) 238-2351 or emailing wroefs(a)sc.rr.com. During the Open Studios weekend, road signs will further direct the public to artists' studios.

Last year, 66 Columbia area artists participated in the first Columbia Open Studios, and thousands of visitors came to see their art. The event was then part of the first Columbia Festival of the Arts.

On this site you'll find a list of artists participating in Columbia Open Studios 2008, their contact information, directions to their studios, information about them and their art and images of their work.

Connect with the Artists

Columbia Open Studios 2008 wants to give artists an opportunity to engage the public directly and show their art as well as their creative processes. The organization hopes this will create new marketing opportunities for artists.

The event also aims to provide easy access for the community to the visual arts and expose the public to the wealth of fine artists in Columbia and Richland and Lexington counties. This, the organizers hope, will educate people about the process of making art and create a dialogue between artists and the public.

By giving people a chance to peek into artists' studios, get a sense of how they work and interact directly with artists, Open Studios hopes to generate excitement about area artists among seasoned collectors and first-time buyers alike.

Be sure to Stop by my studio when planning your weekend!

I'll be showcasing several new pieces never seen by the public plus many more which are in the works. All of my art is not on the website, but check out a few items that are available at http://www.alicialeeke.com/.

#25 on the Map...Alicia Leeke Paintings
Address: 3821 Edinburgh Road, Columbia, SC 29204

Directions to My Studio

From the State Capitol in downtown Columbia, take U.S. 1/Gervais Street East and cross Harden Street. Where Trenholm Road splits off Gervais, stay on Gervais. Turn left onto Glenwood Road, then right onto Forest Drive. Cross Beltline Boulevard and turn left onto Dalloz. Go through two stop signs and down the hill to the left, then take the next right onto Edinburgh. The studio is at the third house on the left.

View the Clickable Map

http://www.columbiaopenstudios.org/tourmap.asp?map=4