Leane Harasymchuk, Artist
Leane is an artist and sketchbook enthusiast living in the Parklands of rural Saskatchewan, Treaty 6 territory. She has worked as an illustrator and is the co-author of a locally-based nature journaling resource. She is a facilitator/instructor for workshops in art and nature journaling. Leane’s ink & watercolour work is celebrated for its unique style, and for reflecting the familiar scenes of her home province. Her urban and rural sketches have been exhibited and sold in Saskatchewan galleries, and are found in private collections within and outside of the province.
“Sketching is my compass and field guide to the places around me. Spending time in the landscape, ideally with my sketchbook, helps me appreciate the layers of story that make up the familiar scenes of life.
Each composition begins with the larger subject in mind but reveals itself in the context of details: in the play of shadows, the plants growing there, benches and fence posts, stone and brick, signage, paint and rust, power lines, and everyday objects.
Linework is my comfort zone and watercolour is a bit of a wild animal, which creates tension between control and playfulness. This serves to balance objective attention to detail with the emotional feeling and nuance of a place. I’m interested in character; having a conversation with the subject, and seeing its gradual animation on the page.
I am inspired by a lineage of sketchbook aficionados: rural & urban sketchers, reportage artists, naturalists and nature journalers (as my bookshelves will attest) – Alex Colville, Emily Carr, John Muir Laws, Clare Walker Leslie, and Ian Fennelly, to name just a few!
I’ve lived in several places throughout the province of Saskatchewan, growing up between town, city, and countryside. My family and I now call the rural Parklands home.”
Cold Prairie Studio 