Internationally acclaimed artist David Leaser offers a rare glimpse into the world of flowers as the featured artist at Wyland Gallery’s flagship store during Laguna Beach’s Art Walk on Thursday, June 4. Best known for richly detailed botanical portraits, Leaser will display his award-winning artwork from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. in a special exhibit. Leaser will be at the gallery from 6-9 p.m. to discuss the groundbreaking space-age techniques he developed to create these images.
Shown on canvas and polished aluminum, Leaser’s artwork reveals a closer look at rare and exotic flowers than many have ever seen before. Dramatically enlarged blooms pop with color and bold patterns and give onlookers a “bee’s eye” view of flowers, from their tiniest hairs to the dew on their petals. His work highlights details traditional photography has been unable to capture until now. “These images show details in nature you would not have been able to capture with photography even a few years ago. Once you see this work, I am convinced you will have an appreciation for nature you never had before,” Leaser said.
Wyland Gallery general manager Daemon Clark said, “We have chosen to spotlight David Leaser’s artwork at our First Thursday Artwalk because he showcases flowers in a new way and ties in perfectly with Wyland’s mission of revealing the beauty of nature.”
Leaser’s inspired take on botanical photography started with a journey to the Amazon, where he took notice of the tiniest, overlooked flowers on the rainforest floor. He is dedicated to promoting nature and endangered species and elevating these botanical subjects to important works of art. A longtime Southern California resident, Leaser is quickly becoming recognized as one of the world’s leading botanical photographers. His artwork has been praised by the art and photographic communities and has been featured on ABC News, Fox News and in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Architectural Digest, Sunset Magazine and Nikon World. Architectural Digest says Leaser’s images “glow with eye-popping color and pattern,” and Ann Landi, contributing editor for ARTNews, says, “Leaser’s work seduces us as only an unforgettable work of art can, to look and look again.”
The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in Southern California houses 11 of David’s large-scale works in its permanent collection.
Leaser recently completed a successful one-man show sponsored by State of the Arts Gallery in Sarasota, FL that ran for two months. His “Art in Nature” series was awarded the Grand Champion of Nature and First Place in the Flowers at the Moscow International Foto Awards ’14 competition, a division of the prestigious Lucie Awards. Leaser has also received a Silver Medal in the International Photography Awards, and his “Tiger’s Eye” image was the only photograph juried for the prestigious London Art Biennale. In addition to his art collections, Leaser has written four botanical books, including two acclaimed photographic essays. He is a featured lecturer at botanical gardens and museums on fine art photography. For more information, visit http://davidleaser.com.
Wyland Gallery Laguna Beach features the work of famed marine life artist Robert Wyland and showcases the finest in marine life paintings, sculpture and photography. Wyland Worldwide is
dedicated to marine life conservation and showcasing the beauty of nature. Wyland Gallery Laguna Beach is located at 509 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651. Please see http://wylandgalleries.com for more information or call 949-376-8000.
First Thursdays Art Walk is an educational monthly event that celebrates Laguna Beach’s diverse art scene and is free to the public. Art Walk’s mission is to promote art education and appreciation. See http://www.firstthursdaysartwalk.com for more information.