Leah Lewman Paintings

Could not be more disappointed with Norwegian Cruise Line. We booked this cruise in Nov. I learned I was pregnant (by surprise) at a Christmas. In early Feb, we called them. I thought I was doing the safest thing by calling to speak with them, to ask what the protocol was, now that I was pregnant. Not only was there no mention of a pregnancy policy, but they proceeded to sell me $448 of travel insurance, which I made clear was necessary because of the pregnancy. We proceeded to call 5-6 times over the coming months, even to cancel our alcohol package (again, made it clear - I am now pregnant and cannot drink). Never once was a pregnancy policy mentioned. A few weeks before the trip, we check in online: NO questions about health or pregnancy at all. It wasn’t until we got to the check in desk (after taking 2 flights and a bus ride to cape Canaveral, FL - we live in Baltimore), that someone asks “will you be beyond 24 weeks pregnant when this cruise concludes?” Not being a dishonest person, and assuming this company would’ve surely told me if this was a problem by now, I say yes - I am 28 weeks. Ultimately we are refused to board this ship. I am far enough along that a doctors note wouldn’t even help. I become the spectacle - a crying pregnant woman at the checkin desk. Collin is told he better RUN get our bags so they don’t put them on the cruise ship. And we are then stranded in Cape Canaveral, FL, with 4 bags and no plan and $6000 in the hole with NCL who now won’t let us on this cruise we’ve saved up for for 5 years. An anniversary trip. We made arrangements and guiltfully left Meira with her grandparents for the week. Now what? I feel so cheated, used and discarded by this company. They won’t even get us a new flight home. We’ve called and made our claims and are waiting. Not so much as an apology from customer service reps. Pregnancy is a mentally and physically deabilitating condition. I understand it’s in the fine print, but again I thought asking someone was safer. I put my faith in the PEOPLE at NCL. How is it okay to punish women for being pregnant; or to take away their right to determine their own fitness after consulting with their doctor?

Five paintings have a beautiful new home 😍

This cutie got a new home recently 🩵 a big thank you to the collector from Texas, US! It always brings me such just to know when my work gets to bring joy to a new space.
Wind Turbine Landscape // mixed media collage // 2017
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Got this charming lady framed and delivered to yesterday 💅
“American Landscapes”, juried by Nora Sturges, will be on view at MFA’s Circle gallery from Aug 30-Sept 29. If you’re in the Annapolis area, check out this group if extraordinarily talented artists 💙

Saved from drafts 🧡 anyone else missing the cool weather?

I love getting to see my paintings snug in their homes. This one is called “Losing Grip” - and no lie was my favorite painting I made in grad school. Never made another one like it - the back is made of wooden panel and I actually used a table saw to chop the corners off (don’t do that at home, kids!) The top layer is painted Masonite with canvas collaged on top 💙

More shenans 💛 really enjoyed the Warhol museum - learned a lot about his life that I didn’t know! Also saw more than expected 🍌

Pit-stop in PGH. Happy birthday to my guy 😘 Andy Warhol museum tomorrow!!

“Open Enclosure” // oil on panel // 11.75”x11.75”x1” // Impositions collection // $480

Saved from my draft archive! I made this derpy sketch when I was still on maternity leave, when Meira was about 3 months. Here’s the caption I wrote: “New motherhood doesn’t allow much time for making art, aside from demo pieces for my classes. I did get a moment to try a few contour lines of her while she slept… to me they don’t capture her but I was glad to have made something just the same ✏️”

A fun thing I do in my studio is the practice of “recycling” oil paint. Off record, I affectionately call these paintings “trash paintings”, because they start with thick impasto layers of paint which would have otherwise gone in the trash. I keep a little panel beside me while working on larger pieces, and as I clean off my palette at the end of the session, it all gets smeared onto the scrap panel. Once I’ve got an interesting build up of color and texture, I let that abstract wash of paint be the inspiration for a new image. That’s why these paintings end up with super thick and textured surfaces.
“Float” // oil on panel // 10”x10”x1.75” // $360










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Who doesn’t love a quirky, irregular oil painting on copper plate? 😂 honestly these just make me happy to look at and happy to make so, most likely, I’m gonna keep making them. But for now I’ve got 7 mini landscapes on copper, now available on my website ✨ check ‘em out!
Oil on Copper, 2021, inspired by a roadside view near Oneonta, NY✨

This giant holds a special place in my heart. All about personal excavation and finding my place in the unfamiliar landscape that was Arizona. If you look closely you can see small, red buckets hanging from the sky. The buckets were me - my tiny, quiet way of playing and exploring in this new place… as a child does on the beach. My own discovery of this place juxtaposed with remnants of earlier, more violent and forceful intruders. I also found some early pictures of this piece in the studio, in progress, and in my graduate candidacy show. Feels like so long ago…
“Upon Arrival” // oil and acrylic on canvas // 5.6ft x 7.8 ft // $3000 // custom frame also available

This india ink piece found a new home this week ❤️ “Memory Lane” is part of a series that reflects on the recurrent floods that have taken place in my hometown of Ellicott City, MD. These 4 in particular have special frames that I build for them, with peek-a-boo holes at the back to show the original spalted maple wood and my signature. Latter 3 are still available on my site. Free shipping and a free print until July 15 ✨
India ink on spalted maple // varied sizes, framed // $540 // Link in Bio

I know we’re right here at the end, but wishing a happy pride month to all 🌈 the celebration of inclusion and diversity should go on all year long. But as always, I stand in support of members of the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the hard work, sacrifice and suffering that has had to happen to get us to this day, only a building block to a better future. Love is love ❤️🏳️‍🌈

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First ever ceramic platter in the works… initials attached in the bottom inspired by my moms idea ❤️

Plein air painting has played an important role in my studio practice. While I lived in Arizona I made a tradition of Sunday plein air painting… every week a good friend and I would pick a spot and we’d go make some paintings/drawings. It was a truly special place and time in my life. I still try to make a painting every time I go on a good hike 🌲
“Rillito River Park 2 - 5/18/15” // watercolor on paper // 2015 // $160 // available on Artfinder

This piece is brand spanking new to my site! I made this while studying in Tucson, AZ. It was one of my first architectural landscape studies - before any of my main series’ developed. I hand picked three landscape images I’d made (watercolors and graphite drawings) and hand-cut them to create a very nondescript, home-like silhouette. Enjoy!
Untitled // mixed media on panel // 18”x18”x1.75” // $350 // free shipping + free print on leahlewman.com until 7/15/23 ✨

For now, only a few originals are left in the “Interior Perspective” series ☺️ here’s a detail of one of my faves! It’s been hanging in my school office but will now need to find a new home.

“Overlook” // oil and acrylic on canvas // 23.5”x29.5”x1.75” // Interior Perspective collection // $1050

“The Grid” // mixed media on panel // 48”x72”x1.75” // $900 // free shipping + free print on leahlewman.com ✨ .

✨SOLD✨”Beachfront” - but it’s not too late to buy prints y’all! See my “Available” highlight for the link 🌈

“A3” // charcoal on hand-cut paper, mounted on acrylic // 24”x24”x1.5” // from the Epitaph Collection // $400 // free shipping + free print on leahlewman.com .
Acrylic is mounted to a hand-built floater box, signed on back, wired and ready to hang.

“Interrupted Peace” // oil and acrylic on canvas // 10”x10”x1.5” // Interior Perspective collection // $350.
Note: This painting is made with fluorescent paint and may look brighter in person than in a photograph.