Poland Native Inspired by Digital Photography

Stop by the Carrollwood Cultural Center or the Life Enrichment Center in Forest Hills, and one thing is clear: local artists are making their mark in north Tampa.

One of those artists is Monika Leon, whose chosen art is photography.

We recently talked to her about how she got her start and how the public can see her work.

Patch: How did you get your start as an artist?

Leon: Photography entered my life gradually, first through my professional life, and it soon became an important instrument of “my art." I started taking photographs for myself several years ago, and photography promptly turned into my passion.

Digital photography was my choice because of the endless possibilities of this exciting medium. It enabled me to learn and progress fast and get more into editorial and digital art, abstract photography using existing colors and compositions. Also, it opened for me a new way to observe nature as a great source of information.

As a mother of three, I became deeply aware of our surrounding and how it influences us. I was astonished to realize that people tend to pass by “things” and never notice the beauty or neglect to analyze the details that they see. I often rise at dawn to capture the very first glimpse of light and to indulge myself in the beauty of the sunrise.

I work in both black and white and color depending on the desired effect. I enjoy working with landscape, still life as well as photograph people.

After several years of doing photography for myself, in 2007 I came to the point that I knew it is time for me to show my work. I like to present my photographs to viewers, make people to stop for a moment and “awake” to the richness and emanating beauty of nature which always make a strong impression on me.

Patch: Who or what influences you? 

Leon: I was brought up in Poland and introduced to the visual arts very early in life by my father. During my teens and early 20's, I traveled extensively in Europe and gained an educated respect for all the forms of visual arts.

I truly enjoyed the work shown not only by professional artists but also by enthusiastic amateurs where we all started.

I was influenced by Impressionism since early years. I am fascinated by the unpredictable interplay of shadows and bright light.  I love color, shapes and texture. A careful observation is an important everyday tool of my work.

Patch: What are misconceptions you think people have about artists?  

Leon: In the early 80's, I became a physician, and my love for the arts helped me to make choices in my professional life. Pathology was my subspecialty, where looking everyday into a microscope I could appreciate the richness of patterns and forms which would never stop to amaze me. Not everybody sees a direct connection between my art and my profession.

My second medium I absolutely love to work with is stained glass. I appreciate the process of creating, as I call it, “2D glass sculpture," exclusively abstracts which are very different from subjects of my photography. Some people ask how the same person can photograph beautiful, soft and delicate flowers and (also) create rigid abstract?

I do connect these two forms of art by using opaque heavily textured glass, inserting into glass natural stones, overall creating a unique and harmonious piece. In my mind, it translates into a landscape or other scene from nature.

Patch: What does your work say about you as a person?

Leon: Taking a photograph, to me, means not only capturing images but also preserving impressions, registering ever changing forms, texture and color.

I am very active and committed to my work. In my photographs I hope to extend beyond the documentation. I hope to share my interests, and the beauty I see. I choose subjects that emphasize how extraordinary the ordinary is. I love to photograph unnoticed elements of nature that as a whole give pleasure to our senses. Mostly plants.

My family knows that my vision of our immediate surrounding is different. You can notice in my photography and digital art creations that I am a naturalist and landscapist, and most of all an observer.

Patch: How can members of the community see your work?

Leon: I participate in series of art shows around Tampa area. I have a website: www.wix.com/monikaleon/photoart. Regarding my art, I can be reached at mleonmd@yahoo.com.