The artist
Hi, I’m Leeanne Dignan, an artist from Manchester, England.
I’ve always loved being creative. Art gives me somewhere to put the ideas and feelings in my head and see what I can do with them. Creating is an escape for me, too.
I don’t have one signature subject or style I stick to. I’m an eclectic person and so is my art! I like having the freedom to follow an idea, change direction and make something quite different from the last thing I painted. That variety is part of who I am.
About me
I’m a mum, an artist, a gamer, horse lover and part-time hermit who loves nature. Neurospicy, with more interests than hours in the day, and usually covered in paint, mud or food.
Family is a big part of my life, as are my horses. I love reading, writing, playing the piano or getting stuck into a DIY project.
I care about kindness and understanding people, myself included. I’d like to make a positive difference where I can, even in small ways. Personal growth matters to me, although I’m very much still figuring things out as I go.
Inspirations
Being outdoors gives me plenty to bring back to a painting. Big skies, changing seasons, the colours in a landscape.
I’m drawn to animals too and the symbolism behind them. I love unexpected connections, when something you come across seems to fit with what’s happening in your life, or arrives just when you need it.
Some ideas come from more personal things: memories, relationships and experiences I’m still making sense of. I don’t always have the words for those straight away. Painting gives me another way to explore them, and sometimes someone else recognises a bit of their own life in the result. If something I make helps someone feel understood or a little less alone, that would mean a lot to me.
process
Sometimes I start with sketches or an underpainting. Other times I go straight in with the materials and see where the first marks take me. How I begin depends on the piece and how much I’ve worked out beforehand.
I use acrylics and oils, watercolours and acrylic inks. Collage and mixed media let me bring different surfaces and textures into the work, too. I love learning what different materials can do, especially that moment when something clicks and I start seeing all the possibilities.
There’s plenty of experimenting, stepping back and changing my mind. Some ideas work; some need painting over. Trying a technique for the first time can be scary, but it’s also how I find things I want to take further.
The finished painting doesn’t always look how I first imagined it. Working out what to keep, what to change and when to leave it alone is all part of making it.