SO, where to begin? At the beginning, of course. I asked San Francisco based artist Leah Rosenberg if she was an artsy kid… and I found out we have more in common than I ever could have imagined! Intrigued? Perfect. Listen right up there under Leah painting her installation/mural at SFMoMA, or download ART FOR YOUR EAR wherever you get your podcasts.

First up, “Everywhere A Color”. This is the work that stopped me mid-sprint at the San Francisco Airport:

Oooh, I do love a good color legend! How could I not stop to take a closer look!?

I also got to see “Gather and Break” in person at the Facebook offices in Menlo Park, California:

Obviously, I loved this too.

My favorite thing about Leah’s work (besides the stunning use of color, of course) is the personal presence required. Here’s a peek into her space at the Vermont Studio Center residency, where she created “Every Day A Color”… starting with GREEN, representing the blades of grass Leah noticed poking through the snow:

Brilliant. Also brilliant… Leah’s friend, artist Susan O’Malley‘s book, titled “Advice From My 80-Year-Old Self”:

These are photos I took of my personal copy… it’s on my mantle as we speak, and I love it and its wise contents oh so very much.

Leah and I talked about a few of the projects they did together, “A Healing Walk”, located at Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga, CA:

Sigh. So beautiful. I think we should all go for a healing walk… as soon as you finish listening to this episode!

And then, of course, there’s this beautiful, inspiring, massive undertaking:

“Getting Better Every Day A Color” at SFMoMA. What an absolutely beautiful homage to a friend and fellow artist. I’m sure Susan was with her for every colorful step.

And finally, I can’t finish this post without showing you just a little bit of Leah’s cake:

NO MORE CAKE, said her prof!? Forget that… I say MORE cake! Thank you so much to Leah for taking so much time to share her stories with me; thanks to Create Magazine (and their CALL FOR ART!) for supporting this episode; and as always, huge thanks to you for listening. ~ Danielle

Other links:

1. Leah’s website
2. Leah on Instagram
3. Emily Carr University
4. California College of the Arts
5. Vermont Studio Center, Residency Program
6. Susan O’Malley, Artist
7. “Advice From My 80-Year-Old Self”, Book
8. Miette Bakery / Blue Bottle Coffee
9. Create Magazine / CALL FOR ART