by LeAna Asher | Feb 17, 2020 | Art Process
She’s a standout in an elegant satin dress
I’ve been terrified to paint satin dresses. The satin dress has an almost waterline effect as it shimmers in the light, it has this lightweight quality yet structural. I was awestruck as this beautiful, elegant woman stood before me as the wind pick up her sleeves.
To obtain the depth of color, I painted in thin layers of multiple colors and then added glazes to areas of her dress.
I’ve avoided orange for so long now. Not because I don’t like orange, No because orange doesn’t like me. I always seem to make it too yellow or too red or even too peachy. This time I thought I would try to tackle my fears and face them head-on.
I’m pleased with the results, and I learned a ton while working on this piece. I learned to mix new colors, and that if I cooled one area of the figures dress, I needed to warm up the other, The reflected light was very challenging as I wanted it to appear to emit from within as was as actual reflection. I am not sure I was able to achieve that this time around.
untitled 22×28 oil on canvas by Le’Ana Asher
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by LeAna Asher | Sep 1, 2019 | Art Process, Inspiration, My Art Practice
2018 the year I began painting portraits.
Here is a little peek into my process for this painting titled ” Sky buffalo dancer” oil on canvas 24×30. This young man is part of the Sky City Buffalo Ram dancers who dance at the Pueblo cultural center in Albuquerque New Mexico. I painted this with permission from the Pueblo Cultural Center.
In 2018 I decided to push myself and give a go at portraiture, this both scared and excited me. I felt I had grown enough in my technique and skill level. I have no real formal training in how to paint the portrait. The art school I went to 20 years ago focused on drawing and painting instruction was more of a conversation and less of demonstration.
Dancing is both a personal and community experience. We are quit literally dancing in the footsteps, stories, and songs of our ancestors. All of the parts of dancing about culture, community and prayer, from the assembling the regalia to the drumming and singing. In my case painting native culture is both a meditation and a prayer for me. This painting was very technically challenging, children are not proportioned the same as adults. The background is a combination of brushwork and pallet knife. I really stretched my artistic self on this painting by mixing realism with the abstract background.
Here is what I’ve learned: Perseverance is the key to success. No really!
Allowing imperfection in my art process has allowed for exponential growth, and I ultimately end up creating what I need to learn at that moment. I got stuck many times and questioned myself throughout this painting but I didn’t give in or give up.
Each new painting shows me a new way to either apply paint, mix colors, use the brush, and so much more. The more I learn to paint, the more I realize I have so much more to evolve and experience in my art. Thank you for following along on my journey as an artist and blog writer.
Much love, Le’Ana
by LeAna Asher | Apr 26, 2018 | Art Process
art by LeAna Asher
The story of how I got there…
I had always wanted to be a real professional artist. I’d been making art since I was a kid and I loved it. Growing up learning to be a people pleaser and adding in perfectionist paralysis, I learned not to dream too big. Not having had the guidance or the structures to support my little dream to be an artist full time. When I had started college back in the early 90’s I decided I needed to be practical and go into business or interior design. This is where I stopped making art for many years.
In my early 20’s it was easier to write in my journal my deepest dreams and innermost secrets that to risk even taking the smallest step toward it. It was easier to criticize the people in the arena than to step into my own life’s arena. This was all a symptom of this ideal perfection I had bought into. At about this time I switched majors at college and walked into the art department and signed up, scared and excited all at the same time.
Asher family 11×14 silkscreen on paper by LeAna Asher ( made in college to honor my ancestors)
Then soon after getting my art degree, I allowed life and other peoples needs and desires get in the way. I took time away from my creative longings to be a “great mom” and a “great wife”, I don’t like doing anything halfa**ed and all my energy went to my growing family. All the while feeling like I had lost something. I was missing something. To be honest I was deeply sad, empty, underexpressed and heartbroken.
In my early 30’s I thought that I had to be the perfect wife, perfect mother, perfect daughter, perfect friend, perfect blah blah blah before I risk taking a step at being my own authentic self. I thought since I had failed that I wouldn’t be good enough for anyone, including myself. Well, it took failing at all those things to accept and embrace myself and my imperfections to have awakened my soul. that slowly began to fill me with meaning and purpose.
My inner critic viciously reminded me all that I am not. It felt like the wind was knocked out of me, dropping me to my knees, the world seemed like a dark dark place down there. The creative art world seemed like a place for only the selected few. My inner critic reminded me it wasn’t for me, it was too late for me. It was my secret, I longed for this creative life, to be a full-time artist, to be an entrepreneur.
Realizing my need to get answers I started to tap into my core desired feelings (
Danielle La Porte), I did lots and lots of therapy. I dove into creating a new healthy body and I created healthy boundaries, I cocooned around my children and myself. I started to realize I enjoy the solitude of my new life. Away from the noise of everyone else. I actually needed to get this quiet because my voice needed to come through, it needed to have time and space to hear over the noise in my life. This is what I heard. You are NO longer was I the victim of your circumstance. You are NO longer just surviving, you are thriving. You will fail and pick yourself back up again. You are not your past, it is not too late.
I am not too old, it’s not too late to be whom I was meant to be.
It became very clear to me who was responsible for this life I was or wasn’t living, I realized I was the only one accountable for my dreams and desires. So with baby steps, I took steps towards my dreams and risk failure over and over again. This time I was willing to feel the growing pains of vulnerability and courage, the judgment of others and from myself. Knowing there will be so much to learn, to discover, to experience on this journey. After letting go of the people and places and ideas of who I thought I was.This is where, against all odds and personal circumstances I picked up my brushes and painted many bad paintings, and sketched bad drawings and made messes. This time it felt different, this time I didn’t stop. I kept going even when no one was looking.
Thank you, LeAna
by LeAna Asher | Apr 11, 2018 | Art Process, Inspiration
A habit of pushing boundaries
Imagine your 18-year-old self at a community college in your town and you love art. You sign up for the only art class you can take, then you find out your teacher is actually an 80-year-old Nun. It sounds like a joke, right? Well, it actually happened to me and here is that story.
I thought of all the cliches, she would only show us holy art and be inspired by images of Jesus (didn’t happen). She would be out of touch with the art world I craved to learn ( that part was true) but felt optimistic. I loved art and I didn’t have to be a Christian to get something out of a class with a teacher that was a nun. It was art after all, right?
Unfortunately, she was a really really bad instructor and made my love of art difficult to digest. I did every assignment and tried to get something out of each lesson, but nothing…I mean nada! She was strict, monotone and unenthusiastic. It was art for crying-out-loud, how on god’s earth could you not get excited and teach art? She often would fell asleep in class, sigh!!
We didn’t paint still-lifes, or draw from models or even from pictures. She had us paint squares of colors next to each other over and over and over. I suppose she was trying to teach us color theory, but she lacked the teaching part. All semester all I could think was ” why me, oh god, why me?” and I am not religious. I have nothing against religion or nuns, just uninspired teachers. It was the most boring class and painful art class I had ever taken. I could not wait for the semester to end.
Towards the end of the semester I learned, we had to pick an artist and do a 5-minute slide-show presentation. This is where I began to plot my revenge. I wanted to pick an artist that would make her as uncomfortable as she had made me. This was war, so to speak. I pick Andy Warhol the Pop Icon artist who was known to push boundaries. This was exactly what I needed to make art class interesting.This was my moment to push boundaries, I loved going to my edges of what was expected. I dove into my research of Warhol and became inspired by his life and story.
Guess who the Nun picked to do her presentation last? Yup, you guessed it, me! I figured she planned it, so people would leave during my presentation, and I wouldn’t have an audience. It was the last day before holiday break it was snowing outside and the class had already run 30 minutes past. She kept most people to the there time limit. Every presentation was so bland, you could tell the students just wanted to get home and be done with this class.
I searched for all the juiciest details that might ruffle her feathers and to spice up class. I wanted to put a little shock and awe into this class. I wanted to see how far I could go. Remember I am 18 years old, and I think I know it all.
Here are some of the facts I shared in class
- He used to urinate on his painted canvases and encouraged his friends to urinate on the canvases to create slightly different colors in the oxidation process and turn the copper painted various shades of green, brown and yellow.
- He wore silver wigs to cover up early onset balding
- He was shot and almost died from a radical feminist with schizophrenia
- He was a devout Catholic, and he quietly continued to practice his religion as an adult. Regularly volunteering at church-run soup kitchens. (what? I didn’t expect this part)
- Studio 54 a playground for sex, drugs, and disco.( now we are taking)
- He was an artist, filmmaker, commercial illustrator, celebrity model and actor and more
- His constant use of media changed the art world and how we consume art. ( major props here)
- He loved to maintain an element of personal and professional mystery ( oooh I loved this)
- He will always be known for his quirky and controversial prints ( some of the car crashes and dead bodies, celebrities etc)
Well my presentation lasted 30 minutes and to my delight, every student sat there mesmerized by the life and story of Andy Warhol and my teacher didn’t fall asleep. I didn’t shock her as much as my 18-year-old self-hope for. But I realized I needed to take over my education even if I feel locked in someones else’s perspective. I still have the freedom to choose. The research I gathered inspired my art for the next few years. It took me years later to realize my revenge-fueled me to study artists and to get influenced by their work. I think the nun has the last laugh here. Drat! Here are some examples of Andy Warhol’s work that influenced some of my art years later at the University level.
two cones side by side in purple and yellow tobacco tins enlarged. pop art modern style.
Indian family 11×14 silkscreen on paper by LeAna asher
Andy Warhol flower series
jingle study, 11×14, silkscreen on paper, by Leana Asher
Andy Warhol, silkscreen of Marilyn Monroe One of his most iconic is the Marilyn Diptych from 1962. Marilyn Monroe died in August 1962
untitled 22×28 oil on canvas by Le’Ana Asher
