Leona Amann was born in Kelowna, B.C. in 1958 and grew up on Vancouver Island.In 1980 Leona took a car trip to Jasper, Alberta and that has been her home base ever since.

The Rocky Mountains were an irresistible force that proved too strong to escape and it has found a way to control her future art works ever since. “The moment I drove into the Rockies I fell in love with the closeness of the mountains and the beauty of the rocks.The whole world here is defined by diagonals lines and a full palette of colours, which add vitality and emotion to my paintings.”

Except for the four years I spent getting my degree in fine arts at the University of Alberta I have remained in Jasper raising a daughter and exploring the mountains with my husband, who is a mountain guide. She just has to open the door to her studio and step outside to be in the spell of the mountains that surround her. With her husband being a mountain guide, their family spends much of its free time traveling the back-country of the Canadian Rockies. “When I am alone with your family, with no other human in sight, I am both humbled and inspired.”Her landscapes in the mountains are a documentary of her attempts to capture this feeling.“Painting is an act of faith and curiosity that tests the character, much like going over the next mountain to see what’s on the other side and enjoying the journey as much as getting there.”

Stylistically, Leona has found resonance in the bright colours and hard lines that have found their way into her recognizable patterns and rhythmic compositions. Mostly, she treats the canvas like an adventure to see what is over the next ridge or around the next turn in the path.She is always looking for the perfect way to convey a feeling, the feeling of awe; that the mountains inspire in her.She has also turned her unique style to capturing the Pacific Ocean vistas and Okanagan Valley views in the province of her birth.

Leona’s work can be found in private and corporate collections across Canada and the United States and as far away as Hong Kong and Great Britain. She has been chosen many times to exhibit works in traveling shows that feature the most interesting Alberta artists.


CURRICULUM VITAE FOR LEONA AMANN

Formal Education

1979Associate in Arts and Science, Leisure Services, Malaspina College, Nanaimo, B.C.
1988 Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, sculpture and painting

Shows, Exhibitions and Commissions

1982Commission for four mountain wall murals for Jasper Activity Centre
1985 Group show for Jasper National Park exhibition at the Jasper Park Information Centre
1989 B.F.A. Graduation Show, Manulife Place, Edmonton, Alberta
1990-1993Various commissioned commercial artwork for Jasper businesses
1991Group show of Alberta women’s paintings for a women’s conference at the Jasper Park Lodge
1993 Several pieces of sculpture and paintings selected for a set design of Argent Production’s television series “Destiny Ridge”
1994Featured Artist show , Jasper Yellowhead Museum Gallery
1995Group show of Jasper Artists at Ortona Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
1995Selected for a provincial artist show during the Alberta Winter Games, Jasper Yellowhead Museum Gallery
1996“Fetishes” A featured artist show of paintings , Sunrise Gallery, Jasper, Alberta
1997 “Lining Up” Show of ten new works, Artist’s Own, Jasper, Alberta
1998 “A Walk in the Woods” a show of twelve large paintings, Centre Club, Canada Trust Tower, Edmonton, Alberta
May, 1999 Featured artist at Hambleton Galleries in Kelowna, B.C.
May, 1999 “The Calendar Girls” group show to launch the year 2000 calendar by six local Jasper Artists.
August, 1999 Show of Aspen paintings at Generations Gallery Stoney Plain Alberta
November, 1999 One of the selected artists for 2000 Auction Calendar project by Stoney Plain Multicultural Heritage Centre
August, 2000 Mount Alberta Anniversary Celebration Group Show of Mount Alberta Paintings
August, 2000 “Snow and Ice” Featured Artist Show at Sunrise Galleries in Jasper, Alberta
July, 2001 “A Walk In The Woods” Marjorie Woods Gallery, Red Deer, Alberta.
April, 2002 “A Mind’s Eye” paintings of a backcountry trip in Jasper National Park, Artspace Gallery, Calgary
January, 2004 “Breathing Spaces” Mountain Landscapes, Artspace Gallery, Calgary.

Collections

Leona Amann’s sculptures and paintings can be found in private collections spanning many countries. As well as:
Fairmont Hotels
TD Waterhouse