American artist Leah Lopez is a lifelong artist from New Mexico and resides in New York. She received her education in the old master’s traditions of drawing and painting. Leah began teaching art after completing educational training at the Instructor Academy, led by Larry Gluck, at several Los Angeles studios. After moving back to New Mexico, she took Studio Art courses at the University of New Mexico (UNM) while continuing to teach basic drawing and painting classes. At this time, Leah mentored with celebrated artist Sherrie McGraw and studied with the Master David Leffel, who had studios in Taos. She actively pursued the study of light and its relationship to shadow in her artwork, which soon attracted the attention of galleries and collectors. Leah began exhibiting her oil paintings nationally in 2005, and her work has been featured in exhibitions, earning awards and recognition from American Women Artists, Oil Painters of America, Scottsdale Artists School, Salon International, and Allied Artists of America.
In 2007, Leah moved to New York to study at the Art Students League under Gregg Kreutz in the North Light studio. While there, she served as a class monitor and substitute teacher. Shortly afterward, Leah began teaching at the New York Academy of Art, offering a still life oil painting course that ran twice a week for the next eight years.
Eager to share her passion for working in natural light, Leah opened a North Light atelier in Union Square, a studio inspired by her mentors, David Leffel and Gregg Kreutz. This studio was formerly where Sherrie McGraw studied the beautiful natural light she captured in her paintings. Over the years, people from across the country and worldwide have attended Leah’s classes and workshops.
Leah took the opportunity to delve deeper into narrative through figurative painting. She was mentored for several years by Daniel Sprick, who provided her with a fresh perspective on atmospheric lighting and shadow in art. This mentorship allowed her to integrate landscape painting into her passion for still life and figurative work, a practice she continues to explore today.
Leah’s still life and figurative works have been recognized through a solo exhibition at the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA) and with venues such as The Albuquerque Museum Invitational, the American Artists Professional League (AAPL), the Salmagundi Club, the ARC International Salon, and the Hudson Valley Art Association. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions for art galleries and museums nationwide. Additionally, Leah has received awards from the Portrait Society of America, the Columbia County Council on the Arts (CCCA), and the Plein Air Salon. Recognized for her contributions to the arts, she holds the title of Master Artist Member and has served on the American Women Artists organization board.
