Anna Marie Leavy : Water Colour Artist

I have a reason for using the colours on my palette at the moment - I always say that an artists palette reflects on his or her personality. I use a lot of Cobalt Violet. Violet is electrical and can be used as a tonic - it is a powerful colour. X-rays, which are above the violet, enable us to see through things - I can put a wash of violet over my complete painting to bring it together.

Green, which I use a lot in all of it's shades, is often heard of as being used for the decoration of eye hospitals because green is helpful to the sight.

Yellow - fabulous - if you have a worrying problem, this colour will help you.

If one suffers from nervoussness, they will benefit from purple. It's helpful to have very large purple lupins hanging or they should even wear purple or mauve colours - since these colours are most soothing to the mind. Shades ranging from violet to purple are most soothing and excellent in cases of hysteria.

Nature emphasises the importance of colour and it is best to live as near to nature as possible.

Blue has a magic all of it's own. Colour is magic and can influence your life and the marvellous power of colour vibration can dissolve many of our ills.

Pure red is good for healing. It restores vitality. If you are feeling fed up and want your vitality restored - place a bowl of red flowers somewhere near or, better still, have a painting with plenty of red in it.

I feel my paintings are my self portrait. They speak of any things. When I paint, I'm very conscious of colours and I like to feel that each painting, when hanging, brings peace, happiness and health to the person viewing it.

When I take a flower in my hand and hold it - everything else is gone from my mind - it's my world for that moment, so I feel in these days of rushing around one doesn't get time to look at the beauties of nature so I like to give that world to someone else by painting what I see and the way I see it. I simplify and dramatize the subject - most times it is far removed from what I have in front of me, but with a lot of emphasis on colour and drama I like to feel it brings life, joy and happiness into the homes, hospitals, banks or hotels they are hanging in.

December 1997.