Who the heck is Leigh Gusterson?

Leigh Gusterson was born and raised in the suburbs of Northern New Jersey. Hated it. Wanted always to move to the “country”. Grew up as one of those really quiet, shy little kids who spends too much time alone reading, drawing, riding bikes, dreaming, walking in the forbidden “woods” in the back yard, trying to make friends with the squirrels. Skinny, no athletic skills, always last to be picked for teams in gym class.

Got a great introduction and foundation to oil painting from the art teacher in high school. Hail to Art Teachers in High School! He convinced me that there was indeed a living to be made making paintings. He tried to convince my parents, too, but with no success.

Spent my life savings and then some on freshman year at Moore College of Art in Philadelphia. Really liked the figure drawing class, but found the rest to be saturated with political BS, strange abstract ideas, and partying. Not worth my money, (that which I didn’t have) and hated living in the city anyway.

So moved up to New Hampshire at 19. Learned basic life lessons, and then left to where it was warmer in South Texas, to learn more life lessons. Came back to the beloved garden state to live with my parents at 24 years old, with nothing to my name but a 1 year old baby girl. Lord have mercy! Realized that if there was going to be time spent making art, that it had to make me a living. Began (accidently) a business of drawing people’s lovely New Jersey homes in pen and ink… ”Home Portraits.” Worked that hard for the year living at the parents house, along with part-time framing and sign painting jobs. Finally, all past debts and bills were paid, and there was money left over for me and 2 year old daughter to move with all her plastic toys in my VW Vanagon to Taos, New Mexico! Yippeee!

Continued to learn more life lessons in Taos, New Mexico, which I LOVED (Taos, that is, not so much all the life lessons). Home Portraits from NJ still paid my bills as I explored this wild land, and painted it however possible. Another daughter born, more life lessons, fun and hard times, joy and sadness, but thru it all there was always the painting. And the sharing of the paintings. It started as little shows right in my little adobe apartment near the plaza in Taos, shows in the bank, a few paintings in a restaurant window… then booth festival shows in Albuquerque, Texas and Colorado. Finally, a gallery!!!! Its been 13 years of being represented by galleries, mostly in the southwest. 19 years of living and painting in Taos. So blessed!

Other interests are yoga (am no longer skinny or spastic) hiking, music and trying to play it, meditation, and gardening. Fiction reading is a luxuryI more often try to permit. I spend more attention than I care to admit on 2 ridiculus dogs. The 2 daughters are now 21 and 16 years old, and I am a grandmother (Oh my GOD). Life lessons haven’t appeared to be slacking off, and I’m thankful I have this connection with the creative energy. It is what helps me to maintain thru it all, figure it out, feel strong and OK, find a balance, get through.

Creating is often painting for me, and the painting has often facilitated the exploring of new ideas, creating balance and harmony, getting challenged into new ways of thinking and being, exploring new places, stepping out of my comfort zone, expanding my vision thru the means of shape and color, and a way to feel myself through it all. I continue to use it to help me as I learn to explore in all the other areas of my life as well. I have often reflected that when there is a big growth period in my life, there is one in my art also, and then, vice versa.

Thank you for reading, thank you for your interest in my work.

May all beings be happy and peaceful.

Love, Leigh