Matzke Fine Art and Design

ARTIST STATEMENT

Working with painting or sculpture, I use many mediums to keep the creative artistic spark going.  I find that working on several projects at one time allows me to give each piece a resting period, to study, contemplate the progress. Most of my works are representational, whether a landscape, animal or plant form. I enjoy whimsical art as well. I choose a particular medium for a particular project that expresses the idea to make it strong. I try to create movement, a flow in design, or an emotion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My steel pieces or combination of steel and stone start with sketches and models. When planning a stone sculpture, the stone dictates what the piece will be. I am attracted to a stone by its shape and color. Knowing that it took millions of years to create a stone, I try to design the idea that will fit the shape as much as possible without a lot of waste. Often, I leave part of the natural skin of the stone in the finished piece. This adds a reminder to the viewer what the stone actually looked like before carving it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Yakima, Washington, 1953.  His artistic encouragement started by age ten as a winner in a National Contest.  During High School he was a Mentor at The School for Creative Talented Students.  His Grandmother encouraged him to live life to the fullest. She always told him “Don’t wait for your ship to come in, take a rowboat out to meet it”.  This led him to pursue Acting and Modeling during the 1980’s.  These opportunities have taken him around the world with a lifetime of memories. But, ART has always been his true love.

 

In 1980, he dedicated his first New York City Exhibit at twenty seven to a Mentor and Friend. The late Actor/Artist Mr. Henry Fonda.   In 1981, he was the first artist to have had two paintings selected for The Long Beach Museum of Arts National Juried Competition in New York City.  He was invited to exhibit at The International Center of Fine Contemporary Art in Paris, France in 1983.  In addition to academic courses, he has studied and painted with prominent International Artist’s in workshops around the world.

Mr. White is an International Award Winning Artist in Painting and Sculpture.  His Sculpture “The Night Watchman” was one of the Top Thirty Artist’s from over fourteen thousand entries worldwide in the Artisit’s Magazine International Competition. Also the Highest award with Medal from the Society of Animal Artist’s International Competition and the Honor of Signature Member.  His art is included in Private, Corporate, City, Museum collections.

He has a strong respect for the natural wonders of the world and tries to capture that essence in his artwork. He is always seeking innovative new ideas for that “Creative Stimulation”.  He works in painting, stone, ceramic, bronze, mix medium and large public sculptures.    Leon’s philosophy, “The beauty of life is so precious and plentiful. One should tap all of his God given talents, pursue them to the best of his ability, and share with others everything he has to offer”.