Happy Hour by Leo Gagne 45J

Private: Leo Gagne

I recently retired and moved to Cottonwood, Arizona. I went to public schools in the sixties and seventies in a city just north of Boston, Massachusetts. It was rather a hellish existence for a lispy gay kid with undiagnosed ADD. This, of course, led to bullying and daily altercations. My mom showered me with tons of toys and art supplies, and I would spend hours creating with my pencils, paints, and clay. By high school, my interest in art was soon merged with my fascination with anatomy. At that time, I had aspirations of being a surgeon, but it was my love and appreciation of art that held my heart. In college, I studied graphic design and advertising, and after working several years in these fields, I of course lost interest. I found some solace with my Native American art gallery, followed by another creative position owning a floral design studio. I also owned a barbershop and cut hair for many years before retiring. Through all these trials and tribulations, I found that my need to create art has always been my true calling. My influences have always been Michelangelo and Da Vinci, whose works fueled my interest in anatomy. The human form, in particular, is where I find inspiration. My journey has taken me through many artistic endeavors, be it oil, acrylic, stained glass, fresco, or sculpture, always with the concentration being figurative works while focusing on expressionistic interpretations. As artists, we are storytellers. We merge our emotions, history, and feelings into a convolution of imagery, texture, and color. I feel I have been successful if I can make you stop for just a moment and make you question what is going on here, or if it evokes a personal connection to the piece. I have always found great peace and a profound sense of accomplishment when creating art. I believe that art has no boundaries in its meanings and interpretations. It is the viewer who gives life back when they look into the artist’s soul. Enjoy!