FEATURED ARTIST
ANNA LISA LEAL
“Twisted” 32x40
Botanical subjects are the primary subject that stokes Anna Lisa Leal’s creative fires. She is most inspired by the xeric specimens found in the Sonoran and Chihuahua deserts as well as throughout the southwestern United States. Early in her pastel painting journey, she did a painting of an agave in her garden. It was the first painting she entered in a juried show and not only was the painting juried into the show, it was also awarded a prize. It confirmed that when one is passionate about the subjects they paint, the sentiment comes through to the viewer. When asked which is her favorite between cacti, succulents, aloe and agave, she says “My heart is with the agave. I am moved by the stateliness of the agave and the seemingly endless variations in size, colors and shapes. I enjoy the colorful and dangerous beauty of cactus, the undulation of the agave leaf imprinted by the now unfurled leaf, and the poignant swan song beauty of the agave flower. But, on the opposite end of the spectrum I am also enamored with tropical flowers particularly those in Hawaii and Costa Rica.” Anna Lisa was born in Laredo which lies on the border of Texas and Mexico. There, her father planted many fruit trees including tangerine, orange, lime, peach and fig. She spent many of her days playing under and in the tangerine trees in the backyard of her home. She also spent hours drawing in the shade of the trees where her mother set her up with a drawing pad as large as she was. Anna Lisa says she’s been a creative as long as she can remember - whether it was drawing, dancing or creating in other ways. She vividly remembers drawing through her high school years, and most often doing portraiture. Anna Lisa left Laredo at the age of 16 and moved to central Texas where she attended college at Texas State University in San Marcos. During college did figurative and portrait work in graphite, often drawing portraits on request to make a bit of money. Though she had artistic talent, she was coached to pursue “practical” studies over the creative world. As she delved into her scientific studies, Anna Lisa discovered a great aptitude in botany which was her first college course in biology. She was invited teach the lab portion of that course and did so for the remainder of her time at that campus. Following undergraduate school, she stayed in the Central Texas area and moved to Austin. She’s lived in and around Austin, Texas for over 30 years. Her studio is at her home in the Hill Country northwest of Austin adjacent to the Balcones Canyonlands Reserve. CAPITALFARMCREDIT.COM
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