ABOUT LEIGH ANNE MAGNATTA
Leigh Anne Magnatta is a self-taught painter based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for bold, colorful acrylic paintings of modern "high-kicking" figures and floral motifs that celebrate resilience, movement, and joy.
ARTIST BIO
Working primarily in acrylic, Leigh Anne Magnatta is a contemporary figurative painter known for bold color, playful compositions, and poetic storytelling. Inspired by memory, travel, nature and an overall nature of silliness, her work often depicts figures "high kicking" their way across the canvas, embodying confidence, perseverance, and delight.
With a background in art and interior design, Leigh Anne Magnatta creates intuitive and expressive paintings that invite connection and spark joy. Her work has been featured in a group exhibition with the Art Alliance of Monmouth County in New Jersey and is soon to show at ArtWRKD in Newton, Pennsylvania.
ARTISTS STATEMENT
My work explores the balance between resilience and playfulness, embracing the idea that joy can exist even when life is not going your way or you are experiencing long periods of grief.
Through bold color palettes, expressive modern figures, and dynamic compositions, I create paintings that invite viewers to reconnect with movement, positivity, and a sense of curiosity. I use recurring floral motifs to symbolize growth, renewal, and the beauty that can emerge through life’s challenges, while my figures often embody confidence, freedom, and a willingness to keep moving forward.
Inspired by everyday experiences, personal reflection, and my travels, I use acrylic paint to build energetic worlds where color and form tell stories of perseverance and delight. Each piece is created as a visual reminder to pause, find moments of happiness, and embrace the small acts of choosing joy—especially when life feels heavy. My hope is that these paintings bring warmth, encouragement, and a little bit of silliness into the spaces they inhabit.
QUICK FACTS
Name: Leigh Anne Magnatta
Born: 1980, New Jersey
Based in: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Medium: Acrylic
Subjects: Dancers and figures captured mid-high-kick, floral motifs
Themes: Resilience, joy, movement, grief, choosing joy
Available: Original paintings shipped across the US; commissions
Training: Self-taught painter; BA Visual Media, American University; Certificate in Interior Design, Mesa College
Solo exhibition: High Kicking Through the Stems, ArtWRKD, Newtown, PA (November 6-29 2026)
Group exhibition: 100 Square Inches, Art Alliance of Monmouth County, Red Bank, NJ (2025)
LEIGH ANNE’S CURRENT INSPIRATION
