Leon Olmo

Rose in Glass with Marble

Leon Olmo was born in Moron de la Frontera at the end of the 1940's beginning at a young age to study drawing and wax technique. He currently lives in Castilleja de la Cuesta where he paints out of his studio; a place that arouses the senses and inspires Olmo’s magnificent technique. From heightened stimulation incredible still-lifes are produced from the nearby aromas of lemons, jasmine, pomegranates, and medlars, fruits which often appear throughout his paintings. Olmo is a self-taught painter, reaching the status as one of Seville’s most talented artists through strict perseverence in drawing and painting. Working until complete exhaustion, Olmo attempts to capture all of himself with every image he creates. For Olmo, neatness and cleanliness go hand in hand when creating a work of art. Though he denies traditional academicism, Olmo does utilize a methodical approach in each painting that begins with strict preparation of the fibrapan board upon which he paints. Beginning with a primer composed of calcium sulfate and glue, he sands the board’s surface until smooth. This regimented routine is in accord with Olmo’s insistence of maintaining neatness and cleanliness for he has rejected the use of canvas where any imperfection is not up to standard. He then picks juicy fresh fruits from their trees and retrieves wooden boards from a collection that he has acquired over the years during walks with his father. Arranging the objects for the desired effect, the outcome will be a play of shadows between the background and brilliant center of the composition. With the brush he draws simple motifs and leaves layers of paint until he achieves a magic luminosity, where the observer can actually see through space, a transparent quality distinctly from the hand of Olmo. The recreation of natural elements in his paintings is to remind the observer of humanity’s material nature. The symbolic use of jasmine is special to the artist, in order to represent the grandeur of small things, six petals with an incredible scent which contain within them the magic of the artist and of his Andalusian land. Olmo’s dreamlike masterpieces contain human warmth that has an unsurpassable way of working their way into the hearts and minds of his collectors. Leon Olmo and his son Leon Reina make up a father and son painting team that both create magnificent still life images. His paintings have been displayed in numerous exhibitions and gallery shows throughout Europe, the United States, Australia, Singapore, and Taiwan.