On May 12th, the Vienna Arts Society is kicking off its Featured Artist Series with the paintings of Leo Deege, longtime VAS member and well-known teacher in the area.
Leo’s exhibition will open on May 12th at 2:00 pm at the VAS Village Green Gallery at 213 Maple Ave W in Vienna in the Village Green Shopping Center (look for the double doors). VAS is holding a reception honoring Leo’s work on Sunday, June 1st, from 4-6 p.m. The public is cordially invited to meet Leo and discuss his artwork with him.
Since his childhood in the Netherlands, Leo has enjoyed creating various artforms, such as drawing, watercolors, pastels and sculpture.
Today he is primarily focused on oil painting. As he explains, “I love the luminosity that I can achieve with oil paints.” Leo has studied with some of our best known local professional artists, including Danni Dawson, who painted a portrait of Sandra Day O’Connor. His list of teachers and mentors also includes Rick Weaver and Rob Liberace. Leo is a graduate of the renowned Nelson Shanks’ Advanced Painting course in Philadelphia. Nelson Shanks has painted such notables as President Clinton and Luciano Pavarotti.
Leo has received many painting awards, and he has taught painting in the area for the past ten years. Although mainly a plein air artist, he now works increasingly in his studio. As he describes it, “Producing art that reflects God’s great creation and gives people pleasure gives me the greatest satisfaction.”
