Leaf Shadows. Leonard Koscianski, 26″x36″, oil on canvas, 2013.
Leaf Shadows is a medium size painting in oils on canvas. It is surreal and dreamlike. It is one of a series of paintings depicting a view up through autumn leaves on a moon lit night. It combines several incongruous elements in a plausible space to create a dramatic image. It is Postmodern Art in that it borrows different styles and recombines them to create the image. The light shining through the leaves creates a sense of the transparency of autumn leaves. The spider web glistens with tiny drops of dew. The moon lit night sky is the back ground for this look up through tree branches.
The texture of the leaves is created by small, raised spots of paint. This gives the leaves a physical as well as visual texture. The painting was first painted in a cooler palette, and then thin layers of glazes were applied to give the colors more luminosity to compliment the illusion of transparency and glowing color. The holes in the leaves add a realistic touch to a Surrealist painting that also pays homage to American Primitive art.