On your wedding day, every detail has been carefully planned right down to the bridal bouquet. Now imagine if your beautiful bouquet could be turned into a oil painting that you can treasure for years to come, filling your heart with the same joy that you felt on your wedding day.
Mississippi based artist, Leanna Garcia does just that. She creates the most beautiful oil paintings of bridal bouquets, and tablescapes that you can cherish forever.
In this interview, Leanna shares about how painting bridal bouquets wasn’t always her plan as an artist, how she shares her love of art with her children, and more.
When did you first discover your love for art?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved art. I’ve always said that as soon as I could hold a pencil I was holding a paint brush. Every single birthday and Christmas I asked for art supplies. Creating art has been apart of the fabric of who I am, long before I ever knew who I was.
Your primary medium is professional grade oil paints. What are your favorite aspects of oil paint?
I’ve only had a love affair with oil paint for about three years now. Before that, I used anything I could get my hands on, which was typically charcoals, acrylic paint, and watercolors.
I happened to fall in love with oil paint on accident. I was pregnant with my third child and was just overwhelmed with creative energy. I needed to paint. It had been a couple of years since I had painted regularly, so I didn’t have many options in my house, but I found a brand new starter box of oil paints at the bottom of a box in my closet.
I didn’t have a paint brush but it came with a palette knife, and little did I know just how that moment of desperation to paint, would forever change my life and art practice.
Now, I primarily use oil paint and palette knives. I love how oil paint is in a world of its own. It doesn’t care about drying on anyone else’s time but it’s own, and while I hated that at first, it’s now my favorite part. It’s forced me to slow down and just enjoy the process. It’s taught me patience in a beautiful way.
What color palettes (or colors in particular) do you find yourself using most often in your work?
I go through seasons of being inspired by different color palettes. Currently, I’m really inspired by oranges, blush pinks, white, and baby blues. I’m drawn to the contrast of strong bold colors, like orange, and the softness of light pinks and blues.
This past winter I was drawn to more earthy shades and warm tones, so I really can’t say there’s a go to palette for me, it’s all driven by what I’m inspired by in that season of life.
At what point did you gravitate toward turning bridal bouquets into works of art that can be treasured for years to come?
I never thought I’d be painting bridal bouquets. It was never even on my creative radar. In January of 2017 I had started a bible study where I would read the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation, in one year. Immediately, I was struck by the story of Adam and Eve and how God brought Eve to Adam (as a father walks his daughter on her wedding day). Adam’s first response to seeing his wife was, “at last.” That really struck my heart and I couldn’t get it out of my head. It was really powerful to me how Adam’s first words were words of completion. He was whole. He had his bride. He didn’t even know he needed her, but God did, and as soon as he saw her he felt complete. My husband says this is how he felt when he saw me walk down the aisle and it really helped me see weddings and marriage in such a beautiful, renewed, God given way. I love marriage and I love celebrating marriage. Painting a bride’s bouquet is such a symbolism of remembering the beautiful day that two people became one flesh, and one heart, in marriage.
As a mom of four littles, what is a typical painting day like?
There is no such thing! I’m a mom to 3 biological children (ages 2-6), a foster mom to another beautiful little girl, and I homeschool them all. My husband is a teacher so during the school year I am just trying to squeeze in as many studio hours as I can. Sometimes that means going a week without painting and sometimes I manage to paint every day. The summers are much more kind to my studio time and I have much more flexibility to get out to the studio and paint.
Tell me about the piece that you are working on now.
Right now, I’m dancing between painting bridal bouquet commissioned works and working on a collection inspired by tablescapes.
The tablescapes are inspired by this isolated moment in time where we may realize just how important the relationships in our life are. And about the hope of returning again, to the table, with the ones we love. It’s been the most heart felt and personal collection I’ve ever painted and I cant wait to fully share it with the world.
What are some of the biggest challenges to live painting versus painting in the studio?
My biggest challenge to even begin live painting was fear. I have spent the majority of my life painting in private. I never wanted anyone to see my work unfinished or in its “ugly stage”.
Then, I began having dreams that I was painting bridal bouquets, live, at a wedding. I told myself, and God, absolutely not. I’d never ever EVER paint in front of people. Long story short, God won and fear lost, and I now love painting at weddings.
Painting at a wedding invites my painting to be apart of the actual memory of the day, and I love that. When a bride looks at a painting of her bouquet, 10 years later, she can tie it to the memory of her actual wedding, and remember seeing glimpses of it coming to life, in real time. It’s really amazing. I thrive off of wedding energy, everything about it really. I honestly can’t think of many challenges of live painting verses studio painting except trying not to forget anything, which I’ve totally done and had to last minute run to Michaels. Talk about stressed out!
Your work features both small works and larger pieces including tablescapes. What is one of the most intricate tablescapes that you’ve ever painted?
I have a tablescape that I’ve been working on that has been really fun to paint. I can get easily lost in creating texture that I don’t focus too much on the details, but with this piece I am really trying to pull in the details to make it feel like you’re really sitting at the table. I haven’t even added any texture to it yet and to be honest I’m not sure if I’m going to. It has a bottle of champagne on the table, surrounded by fruit and flowers, and I just want the feeling to be one of celebration and togetherness.
In addition to painting on canvas you also hand paint denim jackets. What are some of the differences between painting on denim versus canvas?
Painting on denim has been a really fun outlet for me. I’ve really let myself explore other subjects, than flowers, with them and that’s been fun. Denim is tricky to work on though. It’s much more “final” and I don’t feel like I get a second chance on denim. It’s not like canvas where you can just paint over it. The thicker the paint on denim the stiffer it gets so I try to keep it to a single layer and get it “right” the first time. It takes a bit more planning and sketching beforehand than my canvas pieces.
What do you enjoy the most about sharing your love of art with your children?
Oh, I love absolutely everything about it. I love seeing them get in the “zone” of painting. Their world quiets for just a moment and they are just consumed by creating something, anything, and I love watching it. I love seeing how each of my children have such different styles and approaches to art too.
My daughter puts on her paint apron, picks out as many pinks as she can fit on her palette, and just paints with a fury. She will mix all of her colors and paint faster and with more confidence than I’ve ever seen anyone paint before. And when she’s done, she’s done. She walks away without a second guess, and I envy that.
My oldest son is much more of a planner and needs to think about what he’s going to paint. If he’s painting the sky, it’s blue, and the grass is green. He doesn’t get too abstract. He paints with precision and thoughtfulness and I see a lot of myself in him when he paints.
For my foster daughter, art is therapy. She came to us almost three years ago and didn’t speak any English, and I didn’t speak Spanish. I immediately introduced her to painting and that was a big way that we bonded. We painted together, laughed together, and made messes together, long before we could ever communicate in words together. Even now, if I’m in my studio she’s the one who most often tries to come sneak in to paint with me.
I love not only sharing my passion with my children, but I love seeing them open their creative minds and speak in a language they wouldn’t be able to otherwise.
Follow along with Leanna through her website, and via Instagram @withloveleanna
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