Leah Gardner Art

I grew up at an animal rescue where I was blessed to be around many types of animals, cats, dogs, horse, donkeys, foxes and more. You name it was had it come to the rescue at some point. I’d spend hours observing them, caring for them and sometimes having a go at drawing them.

My mum and I would spend some evenings playing with clay and moulding horses and dogs.

In my teens we moved to Arizona where I obsessed over all the new wonders of the desert. I now had lizards, snakes, coyotes, mountain lions and raccoons. I spent some time helping in a wildlife rehabilitation and got to know some of the playful ways of the raccoons and skunks! During this time I’d always recent to drawing as my relaxation and to get all my thoughts and ideas on to paper.

Roll on a “few” years and my main job was teaching dog agility (jumps and tunnels etc) when covid hit it stopped all my work like so many others. It was a worrying time as a self employed person, so I dove into drawing to relive my worries and give me a focus.

I spent time researching papers and pencils, new techniques and really it all grew from there!

My own personal work tends to lean towards an urban slant with wildlife as the main focus. Often the words featured on my work have a strong personal meaning for me but are just as important to the piece.

Three years in and I’m blessed enough to have achieved:

2021 Pet Portrait Artist of the year

Into The Wild runner up

Printed in Ann Kullburg “Color” magazine as emerging new artist

5 page tutorial in “How to draw dogs” book

I’m absolutely loving this journey my art is taking me on and it’s all thanks to the thousands of animals that have played such a strong part in my life.