Many artists find it difficult to balance their creative work with their day job, but not Tricia Poulos Leonard. For the past 30 years, Leonard worked in many different capacities at several Pleasanton schools, all the while making time to continue her personal work as a painter. Her hard work has paid off because now she is gaining attention around the Tri-Valley for her artistic accomplishments.
Most recently, she was asked to put together a show currently on display at the Tri-Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau featuring watercolor and acrylic paintings of Pleasanton and Livermore landmarks. The show started in June and runs until Oct. 30.
Leonard chose 14 paintings for the show, including paintings of Pleasanton landmarks Museum On Main, the Old Firehouse on Railroad Avenue, Coffee Beans and Bistro, Tully’s, The Lighthouse Baptist Church on Neal Street, The Pleasanton Hotel, Mitchell Katz Winery, Kolln Hardware and a view of Ruby Hill taken from an old photo.
“I’ve lived in the Livermore and Amador valleys–Livermore for 20 years and then Pleasanton for 18 more years–and I just really love the area,” Leonard said. “There are so many things about it that are historical and that’s one thing I’m interested in painting. Not just historical sites, but landmarks, like PeopleSoft; important landmarks that will move on to the future. I enjoy the connection with past and the connection with the community.”
The current show at the Tri-Valley Visitor and Convention Bureau came after Leonard was part of a showing at Worthington Gallery West on Main Street titled “Up Close and Far Away” this summer. The bureau contacted Worthington Gallery West owner Claudia Hess, asking her to put together a show for the bureau office, and Hess immediately thought of Leonard.
“The Tri-Valley Visitor and Convention Bureau is all about our region and (Leonard) has done some neat pieces of our region,” Hess said. “As a longtime resident, she just captures the flavor and essence of where we live in her own personal language.”
Other artistic outfits are taking note of Leonard, as well. For the past two years, Leonard’s work was chosen to be part of the art exhibit at the Alameda County Fair. In 2004, her work was included in the Danville Art in the Park Show and a show organized by the California Watercolor Association. She also received an honorable mention in the Livermore Art Association’s 2007 and 2004 spring shows and a merit award in the Pleasanton Art League show in 2004, which is the association’s highest honor. The Blackhawk Gallery has featured her work in many different exhibits as well.
Leonard generated most of these paintings while working full time in education. In 1977, Leonard started teaching art at Dublin High School when the school was part of the Amador Valley School District and from there moved to Amador Valley High School in 1982 where she continued teaching art and also worked as a counselor. However, most Pleasanton residents probably know Leonard from her role as vice principal of Harvest Park Middle School. After Amador, she switched to Harvest Park in 1998 and finished up her teaching career there, retiring this year and ending a 30-year career in education.
Throughout her years, whether teaching art in the classroom or working on the administrative end of education, Leonard has always worked on her own paintings. While working at Harvest Park, she would wake up at 5 a.m. every morning to paint for an hour before going to school.
“I’ve always kept my hand in the art arena and did my own artwork all the time I’ve been working,” Leonard said.
And she certainly has been prolific. It’s hard to say how many paintings Leonard has created in her lifetime, but since 2001 she has kept a detailed catalog of her work. She counts 103 paintings on the list, and those are just the ones she considers sellable.
Making time for art is important to Leonard as it’s been a constant, positive element in her life. Throughout high school she painted and was known as the artist of her school. She later attended the University of California, Los Angeles where she graduated with a degree in studio art and studied under Richard Diebenkorn, a widely-admired American painter known for his work in abstract expressionism. His influence can still be seen in her landscape work today.
“She has a unique style that’s expressionistic, with lots of bold colors and a fair amount of texture in her paintings,” Hess said.
Now that she’s retired, Leonard is looking forward to devoting even more time to her painting. She is already working on a commissioned piece for the new Battaion Winery in Livermore, creating a painting that will be featured on the label for the winery’s new champagne. Leonard said the painting will depict the view of the Livermore Valley as seen from the Altamont Pass at sunset.
“(Art) is what makes life worth living for me,” Leonard said. “When people are involved in the arts, it gives you more of a universal view of the world. You’re tied into the culture, to the past, and you have the chance to affect the future with what you do.”
See the show
Tricia Poulos Leonard’s work is on display at the Tri-Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until Oct. 30. The bureau is located at 349 Main Street, above Tully’s Coffee. Visit www.triciastudio.com to view more of her work.
