Valériane Leblond

BIOGRAPHY

I grew up in France, but now live in an old farmhouse in Wales, along with my three sons and a cat. I paint in a little studio at home, where I sip tea and listen to French radio whilst I work. I enjoy drawing and painting, but when I was little I really wanted to be a writer and storyteller. I love playing with words, with paint and with lego, and reading books, especially in bed in the morning.

My desk is kept neat between paintings, but when I’m at work, there are tubes of oil and gouache paint, hundreds of coloured pencils and oil pastels everywhere together with palettes, paintbrushes, needles, mugs of tea, of water, of turpentine or linseed oil and books. The shelf by my side  is covered with art and picture books, from 19th century Japanese printmakers to today’s illustrators.

My style is influenced by folk and primitive art, and there are often stories happening in the detail. The kitchen or the hearth, the washing drying on the line, the attended garden are often present in my paintings and illustrations. My pictures convey the idea of home, and show how people inhabit the land.

The sea is not far from where I live, and going for walks in the hills or on the beach is always an inspiration. The landscape plays a big part in my work, with the passing of the seasons, the variations in colours and lights, and the everchanging sea.