Wendi Leigh was born in Sydney to artistic parents, so it was a given that she was inspired by them. They owned art galleries and art supply shops.
She was immediately attracted by bold colours at a young age and experimented with the way they could contradict in terms of discords and contrasting light and shade within their own shapes. Wendi always saw objects in faceted shapes and spaces. She sees the world as a colourful environment and became very keen on fashioning women's wear in asymmetric styles that created strong moods and subtle changes to the human form. Within those bounds Wendi started designing fabric patterns. The prints were highly impressionistic, with bold shapes and intricate infills, depicting Australian themes like flora and fauna. She spent most of her career in the fashion industry, but still had a keen eye for all things art.
In 2006 Wendi moved to Wollongong as a single woman to pursue a BA in Visual Arts at UOW . To make ends meet, she spent another 10 years manufacturing womenswear before "retiring” to take up a part-time teaching post and resume her art practice full time.
Wendi has had many exhibitions and won many prizes over the years. Her style has become impressionistic in clean cut lines, shapes and colours as she dissects her subjects into organic elements of futuristic moods and narrative.
ART EXPERIENCES
2018 "Ovation" Raw International Artists Runway for Designers Exhibition Albert Hall Yarralumla Canberra https://rawartists.org/canberra/ovation
2016 "Signature" Raw International Artists Runway for Designers Exhibition Wollongong UOW
2010 The Works Exhibition TIGS School annual art exhibition - Assistant Art Curator https://issuu.com/illawarragrammarschool/docs/issue_4_term_iii_2010
2010 Nowra King Street Gallery exhibition of felted and shibori textile wraps in joint exhibition
2010 Illustrated children's book 'Billy-Can Bob' by David Berry
2008 Meroogal Prize participant - manipulated textile work
2005 January holiday childrens' art workshops over 2 weeks Port Macquarie Art Supplies and Framing
2004 January holiday childrens' art workshops over 2 weeks Port Macquarie Art Supplies and Framing
2003/2005 "Confluence" Hastings for this Sculpture on the River exhibition and participant with 2 sculptures, 1 of which won Highly Commended
1996-2004 - Country Design Gallery and Seagulls Design Gallery art workshops monthly programs