“Art makes anyplace a home”
Grace Burleigh has had ten, one-person exhibitions in Morocco, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and
California. The US Ambassador to Rwanda in 1988 purchased several of Grace’s paintings as gifts for
congressmen. The American Ambassador to Sri Lanka in 1994 bought a painting for herself and as well,
commissioned a piece for the permanent collection in the Ambassador’s Residence in Colombo, Sri
Lanka.
“The creative urge was always there,” says Grace. Doing crafts with the children and making clothes for
the family satisfied this drive for many years. When the children were all in school full time Grace went
back to the university. “When I took my first watercolor class I was hooked”, she says. “Watercolor is a
rich and lasting medium. Working with it is both satisfying and challenging. I enjoy giving myself
problems to solve, and I like to explore different ways to present a subject.”
The rich colors of the tropics and exotic influences of living in Africa and Asia are often reflected in
Grace’s art; “when living in a foreign country I try to absorb as much of the countryside as possible and
to let the atmosphere of the country show in my paintings. For example, while living in Sri Lanka I
incorporated images from the ancient ruins of Polonnarura and Anaradapura into many of my
paintings”.
Grace has participated in more than 35 juried exhibitions, earning numerous awards (including ‘Best of
Show’, and several ‘First Place’) since she started painting. She has also taken part in more than 20
invitational and/or member shows. Teaching experiences include serigraph classes for adults in Rabat,
Morocco, basic art to children in Sri Lanka, and a seminar for art students at a boy’s school near
Gisenyi, Rwanda. She is a member of New Mexico Watercolor Society and has been in three shows,
winning two awards, since moving to New Mexico in 2003.
The images on this web site are from Grace’s recent series “Olla Antigua”, in which she explores the
ancient pots in historical museums of New Mexico.
“Art exists to move us, enrich our lives, and to make us all better human beings”
