The former Port Macquarie resident has been overseas for the last 12 months, and is now the artist in residence at the Q Pop Up Gallery at Kew. 

When she was young, Leanne said her father had left some paint on the back veranda. 

Leanne believes she would have been about four-years-old when she picked up the paint and a brush and began transforming the veranda. 

“It was a mural as tall as me,” she said. 

Her father eventually painted the area to create a blackboard, so that Leanne could use chalk to create an artistic work whenever she liked. 

Leanne was always very creative and after leaving school she worked in the fashion industry, where she did hand printing on fabric. 

Leanne studied at art school overseas, which she credits with teaching her not to be afraid. 

“Everyone has their own art world,” she said. 

Leanne spent the last 12 months living on a boat in the Mediterranean. 

“It was challenging to keep a steady hand because the boat moves,” she said. 

Leanne drew inspiration from ancient cities and from the spectacular sunsets. 

One day, just before a hurricane hit their location on the water, Leanne hurried to capture ‘the calm before the storm’. 

“That was different because I had to paint it fast before the storm hit,” she said. 

Leanne doesn’t worry too much about what to paint next, as she paints in the moment. 

“Travelling is amazing for artists,” she said. 

Leanne is enjoying painting in a large space at the Q Pop Up Gallery, as she was confined to a small area on the boat. 

In the future Leanne hopes to do an exhibition overseas. 

She said for now it’s great to be back home in Australia, and is enjoying catching up with friends and family.