Leesa Gray-Pitt

Artist Biography

Leesa is a figurative artist who writes when the grief is too overwhelming to paint and paints when she can’t find the words, pouring her emotions onto the canvas. Art has been her therapy and catharsis through the living nightmare of child loss, painting and writing her journey through trauma to find the spiritual feminine.

Drawing portraits since her teens, Leesa decided to follow her passion for art and fashion and use real faces as her canvas, winning Hair and Makeup Artist of the Year 2003. Having worked on many famous faces and in fashion, television and bridal, she started painting faces on canvas in 2016 to deal with the death of her beautiful daughter Star Dawn.

One of the highlights of Leesa’s career was an artist residency at Chateau Orquaveau, France, in 2019. Living at the chateau for four weeks with artists from around the world was a dream come true and an experience she will never forget. She was also Vice President for RedWest Creative Co-op, which was extremely rewarding and provided many opportunities to learn skills that will help her career as an artist.

Starting her Master of Fine Arts degree in 2020, Leesa has pushed the boundaries of her practice exploring different techniques ...

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
2021 - Obtained Master of Fine Art at RMIT Melbourne
2019 - I am an Artist at Arts Assist South Melbourne
2017 - Oils one on one with Caroline Esbenshade
2016 - Acrylics Workshop with Caroline Esbenshade
- Life Drawing Classes at Saltwater Community Centre
2014 - Diploma of Cosmetic Tattooing
2003 - Certificate II in Makeup Artistry
- Certificate in Dress Style Hair

EXHIBITIONS
2021 - RedWest PrimoRed 2 Group Exhibition 2nd - 23rd July at C & H Gallery, Melbourne
- Solo Exhibition ‘The Seven (not so) Deadly Sins’ at Black Cat Gallery 18th - 28th February
- RedWest Group Exhibition $50-$500 at Sunshine Art Space
2019 - NOW, WEST Group Exhibition 15th - 23rd November Longspace Gallery
- RedWest PrimoRed Group Exhibition 8th Nov - 7th Dec C&H Gallery
- All The Things That Remain Group Exhibition September NOIR Darkroom
2016 - Throw Up Your Art Exhibition- Colourbox Studios