Today we’d like to introduce you to Vicki Leon.
Hi Vicki, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have been a professional artist in San Diego for over thirty years. You may have seen me selling my work at various venues in Southern California and across the United States, such as ArtWalk, Gay Pride, Michigan Women’s Music Festival, Laguna Art a Fair, and Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park.
Now, for the first time, I have taken the big step to open my own gallery! The Poplar House Gallery (by appointment), is located in the quaint and diverse neighborhood of Azalea Park, the hidden gem where I have lived for twenty-five years. Filled with natural light, the gallery is in a 100-year-old house with lots of character and is perfect for showing available artworks in an intimate and welcoming setting. Most of my time is dedicated to making art which requires focus and concentration, so it is necessary for clients to schedule an appointment for a viewing at the gallery. I create my work there as well, and my works in progress are also on display. Our hope in opening the gallery is to build a rapport with an exclusive base of art collectors who would like an inside and intimate relationship with the artists and who would like the first opportunity to buy the artists’ new work. We had our soft opening on the Vernal Equinox with a gathering of friends and family and are now building our invitation list for future seasonal events where we will share our hospitality with the public.
The Poplar House Gallery is proud to present the work of Florence Delacruz, Kevin Baker and myself. Florence Delacruz is an exceptional portrait artist who specializes in colored pencils. Kevin Baker is known for his exquisite blown glass vases. I have some collector’s pieces from past projects available and several pieces from my new series, entitled Elemental Balance. Also, I have two unique and innovative, award-winning jewelry lines.
A visit to the gallery can also include a walking tour of artworks by the Azalea Park Mosaic League, of which I am the Founder. We are an all-volunteer group with a mission to celebrate Community, Diversity, Creativity, and Unity one piece of mosaic at a time. We work out of a dedicated mosaic studio, annexed to the Poplar House Gallery. The walking art tour includes the Azalea Park sign on the corner of Poplar St. and Fairmount Ave. The sign is covered in a vibrant mosaic entitled Art’s Popping Up, and tells the story of our eclectic community, and how art keeps popping up. The tour continues down the half-mile stretch of Poplar Street, featuring various bus stops made beautiful by the Mosaic League. Also worth seeing are the Manzanita Gathering Place, a couple blocks from the AP sign, and the Sculpture Garden in Azalea Park just steps away from the gallery.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My road has been both rocky and blessed. I have been inspired and supported myself as an artist since day one, but there have been some tough times. As an artist, I prefer to focus on what inspires me with persistence and courage, seeking the highest possible beauty at my hands.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As a sculptor, I am inspired by the magic luminosity and beauty of glass, which is my primary medium. My innovative approach allows for fine detail, vibrant color, and sculptural form, bringing the beauty of glass into the fine art context. I have expanded my scope to include an original line of jewelry, working with natural gemstones, crystals, fossils, and stones as well. My fascination with light is evident in virtually all of my work which is inspired by brief moments in nature when light gives us surprising experiences of startling beauty. I strive for the light, both physically and metaphorically. The ever-changing shifts and momentary nuances of daylight inspire the essence of my sensory style. The artistic process is for me a spiritual immersion. As a sculptor I surrender myself to the vision and the materials, learning about natural laws. I am interested in balance and paradox, and I try to develop these themes in an abstract search.
Over the years my work has won many awards and is featured in the permanent collections of the Museum of Dichroic Art, the Carter Art Center, and the Women’s Museum of California. My collaborations with Judy Chicago are featured in the permanent collections of the New Mexico Museum of Art / Santa Fe and the Canadian Clay and Glass Museum.
My sculptures for the wall, floor, and pedestal are explorations into the exquisite realm of light’s pure color. In 2013 I was in the first round of artists to receive the Creative Catalyst Grant for innovation from the San Diego Foundation where I explored many of the optical effects that you find in my work.
My techniques include a unique combination of hands-on skills, methods, and processes including intricate sand-erosion carving and advanced scientific technology which produces a crystalline structure that has a distinctive, luminous glow.
In my newest series, Elemental Balance, I explore the intrinsic and symbolic nature of wood, metal, glass, and plastic, I unlock the mysteries that the materials contain through composition and relationship. As the messages emerge the interplay of light invites inquiry and discovery.
Vicki Leon Originals, my exclusive, contemporary jewelry line is informed by the abstract and symbolic style of my years as a dedicated sculptor. Luminous Crystal Carvings, are hand-carved Swarovski crystals and have a distinct luminous glow. Both of my jewelry lines are inspired by a vibration of ancient wisdom and a glimpse to an inspired future. Each is a talisman for empowerment, healing, protection, and adornment.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Since this is an interview with SD Voyager, I will share a little-known Voyager trivia tidbit about my work. A couple of my abstract glass sculptures appear in two different episodes of Star Trek Voyager. The first sculpture, We Are Everywhere, is featured in Season 3, Episode 2, Flashback, as part of the story when Neelix uses it as one of Lt. Tuvok’s personal effects to try to help bring back the Vulcan’s memory after an accident. The second sculpture, The Long Drive and the Empty Room is prominently shown in Season 3, Episode 22, Real Life, as home decor in the background of the home of the holographic doctor, in the episode when he had family.
Pricing:
- Luminous Crystal Carvings [TM] jewelry prices range from $55 to $250
- Vicki Leon Originals jewelry prices range from $125 to $950
- Artworks for the wall and pedestal prices range from $250 to $6,000
Contact Info:
- Email: vickileonartist@yahoo.com
- Website: https://www.vickileonartist.com/
