About
Barbara Leon was raised in Monroe, a small town in Orange County, NY. She loved to explore the woods and streams of the area, and early on gained a deep appreciation of the natural world. A defining moment in her childhood was when her beloved forest behind her house was torn down for development. The destruction she witnessed would make her a life-long champion for preserving and revealing nature’s splendor. In high school she discovered her passion for photography which would become an outlet of creativity for her entire life. After attending Syracuse University, she studied Podiatric medicine at the Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia. With an education based in the sciences, she always sought to look deeper into the nature of things. She went on to a residency in foot surgery in Buffalo, NY. While in residency she studied photography at a local community college. Her days were consumed by the demands of a surgical residency but her nights were times of creative freedom when she’d frequent jazz clubs to photograph musicians in performance. During her ensuing 30 year career as a podiatrist, she merged her surgical and creative skills and started sculpting collages from her photographs. As an avid kayaker she photographed and collaged the surfaces and reflections of streams and wetlands. This led to her application and acceptance in several juried art shows. She was honored to be awarded the Purchase award at the Dorsky Museum at SUNY New Paltz. She has exhibited in Tokyo, as well as Hudson Valley galleries, including the Woodstock Artists Association Museum (WAAM), the Tivoli Artists Co-op, and the Dorsky museum. She currently is preparing for an upcoming solo show at The Muse in Rosendale, NY in July ’24.
Beyond 2-dimensional creations, she experimented with 3-D works by collaging larger-than-life mannequins with silken textiles and mixed media. Over the past decade she has worked with clay to create hand built, free form vessels.
Beyond 2-dimensional creations, she experimented with 3-D works by collaging larger-than-life mannequins with silken textiles and mixed media. Over the past decade she has worked with clay to create hand built, free form vessels.
Barbara was certified in scuba diving at age 15 and always loved the magic of the undersea world. But it wasn’t until the summer of 2020 that she really found her passion for underwater photography. The isolation of the pandemic led her to plunge into unknown waters with camera in hand, and find a place free of chaos and fear. The wildlife and flora that lay just beneath the surface was more than a novel waterscape to photograph, It was a sanctuary imbued with life and beauty and new awakenings. “It's the hidden beauty in everyday things that captivates me. At every turn there is something new to behold that you've never seen quite like that before. "
Barbara Leon