Lawrence Leitch
Leitch achieves an almost photographic clarity while maintaining a painter’s sensibility … here is an artist who truly does justice to the New Zealand landscape
Lawrence Leitch
(b. 1958, Wellington)
Lawrence Leitch’s paintings are distinguished by an extraordinary degree of realism - every inch of the work is rendered with meticulous precision. This is particularly evident in the artist’s handling of water and diffused light. His paintings invite scrutiny, revealing not only technical mastery but a deep sensitivity to the unique elements of both the North and South Islands. His Waiheke Island paintings have met with resounding success.
Lawrence attended Wellington’s Polytechnic School of Design and in the early 1980s he lived and worked in the United States. The son of artist and print-maker Peter Leitch, on his return to New Zealand Lawrence followed in his father’s footsteps, pursing a career as a professional artist. Initially he worked in watercolours, gaining nationwide recognition. It was the demand for large scale works which prompted Lawrence to develop the highly personal technique we see today. Working in finely applied, diluted acrylics on multi-coated gessoed panels, his work achieves the extraordinary.