Donald C. Leonard

Mr. Leonard currently resides in Kent, Washington but is originally from Alabama. During the course of his early schooling he discovered his gift and his love for drawing. He received a great deal of encouragement from his teachers at his elementary and junior high school. Mr. Leonard was very proud when asked to create posters and visual aids for the classroom. The more he created, the more he realized that he was building a reputation as a very young artist. His talent was evident, but unfortunately the schools in his hometown did not offer art classes.

Mr. Leonard’s family moved to Seattle in pursuit of better educational opportunities for their children. Mr. Leonard is one of seven children. At the age of 15, Donald was able to take several art classes in high school including ceramics, pottery, and painting. He quickly found out that his passion was art. Upon graduating from high school he knew he wanted to pursue his love of art. He enrolled at the Art Institute of Seattle and received his Associate of Arts Degree in Visual Communications. Mr. Leonard enhanced his technical skills which included illustration, graphic design, cartooning, computer graphics, lettering, typography, and product illustration.

Upon graduating from the Art Institute, Mr. Leonard decided to become a freelance artist. He was then commissioned by Allstate Insurance and Microsoft to design tee-shirts and posters. He has done numerous portraits and designs for friends and family.

Mr. Leonard was selected several times to display his artwork at the Bellevue Art Fair in Seattle which is attended by thousands each year. A painting of his was used to advertise the fair. His work was also displayed at one of the major community colleges in Seattle during Black History Month. Mr. Leonard’s work has also received him honors from the Seattle Urban League.

Today Mr. Leonard continues to develop his skills. Much of his work is developed in a series that serves as both appreciable art and social commentary. A few years ago he began working on a series of artwork which he entitled “The Rwanda Series” images that tell a story of tragic truths that manifest as triumphant stories.

In addition to the stories of the series, Mr. Leonard aspires to create realistic images of the participants in life that often go unnoticed or misrepresented. This, he believes, is captured by drawing the yearnings of the subjects he studies. “Each picture” says Mr. Leonard, “is a story that the heart needs to feel and the world needs to be told”.

Mr. Leonard has focused on painting subject matter that is important to him such as experiences from his childhood, African culture, the Civil Rights Movement, and the struggle of the less fortunate. His goal is to use his talent to bring hope, joy, inspiration and awareness to everyone who views his artwork. Mr. Leonard understands his talent is a gift form GOD and feels privileged to share it with others.