Leigh Witherell

Eros and the Same Sex Soul
Acrylic
76,2 x 76,2 cm

Leigh Witherell

Leigh Witherell’s “Eros and the Same Sex Soul” is a poignant exploration of sensuality and human connection through the medium of acrylics. Based in Florida, her work is a testament to the transformative power of art, both as a means of personal catharsis and as a form of social commentary. Leigh’s Melancholic style is deeply rooted in her personal journey of loss and resilience, channeling the complex emotions of grief into expressive creations that speak of pain yet glimmer with hope.

Her compositions are marked by a sensual fluidity, engaging the viewer’s senses and inviting a profound sensory interaction. Leigh Witherell’s artistic process is one of liberation from creative constraints, embracing Edgar Degas’s philosophy that art is about making others see. Through her tactile application of acrylics, she constructs a visual language of color and texture that resonates with her audience on an intimate level.

Leigh Witherell’s narrative is not confined to the canvas; it extends to her life story, where art becomes a bridge to her daughter’s memory, and each piece becomes a part of a larger dialogue about grief and healing. Her aim is to lift the veil on the invisibility of grieving parents, fostering a societal understanding that can lead to healing.

I’m an emerging artist based in the Space Coast region of central Florida in the United States. My husband and I relocated here in 2018 and found the perfect home and studio. My art is strongly influenced by the melancholy and abstract styles. I love creating pieces that people connect with emotionally. It’s thrilling to hear how a piece I created impacts the person studying it.

Much of my inspiration and motivation comes from a very personal space. I have used my art to help me work through the devastation of losing my only daughter, Amanda, on April 8, 2021, in an auto accident. I have channeled many of the feelings that grieving parents feel into my first major project to create what I hope are visions not only of pain, but also hope. My favorite story to tell is how Amanda would recall to her friends that her fondest childhood moments were spent creating art with me. It is in my studio that I feel most connected to her.

I’m still at the beginning of the processing of our loss, so my first major project I call “The Invisibility Project”. This collection is still in production and explores the experience of parents suffering loss as a collective group. The focus is on life after the death of our child after the memorials are over and after we fully realize that the house is quieter than it was before. Other projects and subjects will emerge over time, but for now this helps me and hopefully my community of fellow grieving parents in our individual journey.

– Leigh Witherell