Leah Richmond, aka Violet,
originally from Sudbury Ontario Canada, loved art from an early age, always drawing or creating artistic pieces as her favourite pastime. In kindergarten she recalls the teacher pointing out to her mother a picture she’d contributed to the “make a picture of your father” project posted on the wall. In their discussion, the teacher enthusiastically noted how the fingers had been given form and had not been represented merely as sticks. And all through schooling, Leah continued to receive much attention and praise for her artistic abilities. Alas, she felt she could never create art on demand in the field of commercial art and did not pursue art as a career. Instead, she focused on family, home, and employment in other fields, but she always appreciated fine art and looked to retirement as the time that would serve to allow her to rediscover her inner artist.
It was with the discovery of, and involvement with, the internet that an alternate identity was necessitated and *Violet* came about. A few years later, many changes occurred in Violet’slife. These changes included a remarriage; a relocation from Kitchener/Waterloo Ontario where she’d lived and worked for over 20 years to Niagara Falls Ontario in 2004; the opportunity to retire into a life of love and support; and time to delve into exploring and experimenting with art once again. Rather than focusing on sketching with graphite though, she launched herself into the world of colour, determined to research and gain experience painting in a number of mediums. Two years into this process was the eventual adoption of Violetas her nom de pinceau for artwork. Thus, it may be noticed that over time, her artwork has been signed using Johnson, Richards, Richmond, and now Violet.
Violetis a member of Niagara Falls’ Niagara District Art Association (NDAA), and WetCanvas! (www.wetcanvas.com).
Having submitted works into local juried shows, thus far she has been awarded:
· “Second Place in the Still Life category” for On the Prowl (acrylics) in the 2010 Best of Wet Canvas competition
· “Best in Alternative Media” for Three’s a Crowd (PanPastel) in the NDAA’s 52nd Annual Juried Art Show (2008)
· “Best in Show” for Waterlilies (acrylics) in Welland’s Rose Festival Juried Art Show (2008)
· “Best in Show” for Cherries in Creamer (acrylics) in the NDAA’s 51st Annual Juried Art Show (2007)
· “2nd Prize - Drawing” for Glass - Series (pastels) in Welland’s Rose Festival Juried Art Show (2007)
· “Best in Alternative Media” for Orange and Blue Glass Plate (pastels) in the NDAA’s 50th Annual Juried Art Exhibition (2006)
· “Best in Oils and Acrylics” for a portrait entitled Mark (oils) in the NDAA’s 49th Annual Juried Art Exhibition (2005)
· “Honorable Mention” for Shells (gouache - non-transparent watercolour), in the NDAA’s 48th Annual Juried Art Exhibition (2004).
Violet plans to continue to challenge herself exploring various mediums and subject matter. In doing so, she hopes she inspires viewers to see the world’s splendor and appreciate the beauty in everyday life. All the while, she will continue to be immensely grateful for the wonderful support and encouragement she receives from her husband, daughter, son, and friends formed traditionally and over the internet (incidentally, where “Violet” met her husband!).
Contact Violet: [email protected] or [email protected]