Leilani the Artist 鈥� also known as Leilani Finch 鈥� is bringing a piece of the Sea to Sky Corridor to Manhattan next month after she was invited to show her work in a Chelsea gallery.
The Agora Gallery saw her work online and contacted her about applying for an upcoming group exhibition. She was accepted and selected pieces will hang from April 1 to 21 in an exhibit called Forms and Formalities.聽聽聽 聽
鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 really hit yet,鈥� Finch said. 鈥淚t is very exciting.鈥�
The gallery chose 鈥淗owe Sound Cloudbreak,鈥� which depicts the view from the Stawamus Chief, 鈥淐ox Bay Reflections鈥� bringing the Tofino beach to life, 鈥淢ount Garibaldi in Whistler,鈥� which shows the peak of Garibaldi, and 鈥淪tained Glass Trees鈥� which transports the viewer into a lush, green forest.
鈥淚鈥檓 definitely a nature lover,鈥� Finch said. 鈥淚 love being outdoors. That鈥檚 partly why I moved to this area. I love rock climbing and skiing鈥� I definitely mostly paint scenes from around here.鈥�
Finch will be attending the gallery opening on April 7, although it will mean missing the opening of State of the ART 鈥� the art show at the World Ski and Snowboard Festival, where she will also have an exhibit. The goal, she said, is to keep building on her career until she can become a full-time artist.
鈥淚鈥檓 always hoping to sell my work,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 get attached to it in that way. My goal is to be a full-time artist. I want to take my art to the next level and start getting recognized in the high-end art circles. I don鈥檛 know much about that at the moment.鈥�
It won鈥檛 be the first time she has visited the Big Apple; Finch went on an influential class trip there as part of a three-year graphic design and illustration program years ago. They visited all the big museums, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Guggenheim, and had an exclusive look at some aged watercolours that could only be exposed to light for a few minutes at a time.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 partly why I don鈥檛 paint in watercolour,鈥� she said. 鈥淧art of the reason I paint is because I feel like it鈥檚 the legacy I want to leave behind when I die, and oils and acrylics last better. That鈥檚 why I paint on canvas as well.鈥�
Finch has been slowly growing her art career over the past several years. She鈥檚 shown her work around the corridor at various farmers鈥� markets, Bizarre Bazaar and the Crystal Gallery, as well as at several other businesses around Whistler.聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽
鈥淚 know it takes time and it won鈥檛 happen overnight,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 read an article on Dan Mangan [the Vancouver singer-songwriter] one time and he said, 鈥業t鈥檚 just a combination of doing lots of little things all the time, and then eventually, it starts to add up to something.鈥�
鈥淧eople think a lot of musicians are an overnight success, but they鈥檙e not. They鈥檝e been working really hard for years doing a lot of little things, driving all night and touring around and eventually they start getting bigger and bigger opportunities. I feel that鈥檚 starting to happen for me right now.鈥�
In addition to the upcoming shows, Finch will be starting an art school in Squamish in April for students of all ages.
鈥淚 want to pass on my knowledge,鈥� she said. 鈥淎lso, I do take inspiration from teaching, and teaching makes you a better artist.鈥澛�
