Valerie Leri

I graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1982. I have been painting ever since. I have always wanted to live on Cape Cod, having taken frequent vacations here in the summers growing up. I have been living here for 15 years now which is a fabulous environment for a visual artist. When I'm not painting, I enjoy taking walks with my dog on the various trails, woods and beaches. Though I am a professional artist, I do documentary transcription part-time as well.

Being on Cape Cod inspires me to create paintings that are uplifting to me and hopefully to the viewer as well. To this end, I am drawn to working with bright, bold colors or soft pastels. Though I've worked with oils and watercolors, my favorite medium is acrylic paints and the majority of my paintings are with that medium.

A strong element throughout my work is light - both physically and spiritually - through a combination of realism and abstraction. My mission is to capture a sense of spontaneity and tranquility or movement, energy and exhilaration through the interaction of colors and shapes. Some of my newer paintings are interwoven with elements of nature such as sand, bark, stones and shells to give the painting a 3D appearance....

I graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1982.

I am a member and have taken various classes from Cape Cod Art Association, Falmouth Art Association and have been involved with the Art Foundation of Cape Cod as well.

Various galleries on Cape Cod, such as the Artful Hand Gallery in Sandwich, MA and galleries in New Haven, CT. I feel very fortunate to have had an opportunity to be on the cover of Cape Cod Home Magazine with my paintings and an interview within its covers. This interview and photographs of some of my work generated a lot of attention with the outcome being several paintings (and painting earrings I make) sold and additional followers of my work. Two of the paintings displayed in the magazine are "Morning in Tuscany" and "In Like A Lion." These paintings were received so positively that, in the case of In Like A Lion, I made a couple much larger ones (18" x 24"). I sold one of the larger ones but the other one is on this site, as well as Morning in Tuscany painting (which won an award with an online gallery). If you wish to receive a copy of the magazine with interview and featured painting or just the article, please let me know and I can
get one for you. If you should see a painting you really like that has been sold, let me know and I will create something similar in whatever size you would like.