Capturing light, landscape and life as an artist: An Interview with Artist Leon Holmes
Q: Your work is celebrated for capturing the essence of light and nature through Plein Air painting. Can you tell us about your creative process and what inspires you when painting outdoors?
Leon: Generally, my process will start with just heading outdoors with my plein air painting kit. A small pochade box, a few colours and can be as minimal as one brush. I found that working from photos was a false economy of time and restricted the creative process. I would spend hours/days scrolling through photographs rather than spending time on the brush. Outdoors, the subject is presented to me; I need to think creatively, find a composition and get it down before the light changes. Sometimes, I finish a painting on location. Still, the most useful ones are the quick unfinished sketches because they open me to imagine how I might explore the idea further.
In most cases, these small sketches inspire my larger studio paintings. Sometimes, a series of small studies will be on my wall in the studio as invaluable information when working in the studio. Of course, I use a few photos from time to time in the studio, but they are only for reference, detailed information like animals or boats that I often put into my work to add life.

Q. You’ve worked across various artistic fields, from printmaking and graphic design to oil painting. How have these different mediums influenced your approach to Plein Air painting?
Leon: Yes, my career has been a journey of artistic threads, and the knowledge and practice gained in each have been invaluable. As a screen printer back in the 90s, I was required to mix the pots of ink, so I have a strong ability to see and mix colours. As an art director/graphic designer, I spent every day drawing creative concepts and storyboards, honing my drawing skills. Both of these skills alone allow me to work quickly when painting outdoors to capture a scene and the colour of the light.
Q. As someone who has exhibited internationally and locally, how do you see the role of community in your art practice? How important is it for you to stay connected to the regional WA, especially in Mandurah?
Leon: I think this is very important. The big reason I moved to Mandurah was that it had such a well-connected art community. I’m very much aware of what my experiences abroad have to offer. I have had some of the most wonderful plein air experiences and want to share as much as possible with the Australian Plein Air Artists. I started the Plein Air Painters of Australia Facebook group as well as PADU alongside Barbara Thoms. Both were to help grow the community of outdoor painting to make it a more pleasant and educational pastime than the solitude of the home studio.
Q: Being a full-time artist in today’s society is no easy feat; what do you believe are some of the critical challenges you and your peers experience? And what keeps you going?
Leon: Oh, that’s a very long piece of string. Let’s start by saying, “No, I don’t just paint all day and sit back in a Chesterfield lounge and smoke cigars.” It’s more realistic to say that I spend 80% of my time answering emails like this one, working on marketing and social media, being an accountant and bookkeeper, framing, stretching canvases, etc. The list is endless. It’s not all glamorous, and it takes a lot more hours than your average 9 to 5. I guess what keeps me going is that this was the choice I made for my career, and as much as I’ve been doing it all my life, it is still my passion! I can’t lie; the ego and pride play a role, as it can be very exciting when an artist makes a sale or has an opening for an exhibition. I guess it all balances out.
Q: What advice would you give to emerging artists about building a sustainable career in the arts?
Leon: Keep a day job. If I were to do it again, I would look for a job that complimented my painting and paid regularly. I think the biggest struggle in the first ten years as a full-time artist was having enough money to survive. If you have a job and paint in your free time, it is 100% for you, and you can paint whatever you like. When you rely on the paintings for income, it is easy to fall into the trap of making art and repeating the same ideas because it’s the one thing you know sells. I guess the underlying question is, ‘Are you an artist to make money or to be creative?’
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add about your practice, the journey you’ve been on and what you look forward to working on in the future.
Leon: I have loved my journey; as you can probably work out from my comments above, It has not always been an easy road, but it has been full of adventure, highs and lows, creativity and learning. I think it’s very important to keep looking for new paths to take and grab the opportunities when they are presented to you. Taking the path to move to Germany meant I lost my studio, which forced me to paint outdoors. This led me to completely relearn the way I painted and a new and exciting practice.
We’d like to say a massive thank you to Leon for being our September Artist of the Month. During this time, Leon and his team shared some exciting and interesting behind-the-scenes content directly to our Instagram page of Plein Air Down Under held on 17-24 September in the Peel region. Featuring over 200 artists between the World Wide Paint Out 7-8 September and the Outdoor Painting Festival 21-23 September we are thrilled to see the regional sector thriving!