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.