July’s artist in residence presents month of inspiration at HVNP

West Texas rancher and painter Alice Leese, selected as July’s artist in residence at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, will unveil her evocative, colorful paintings, which were inspired by the park’s volcanic landscapes, as part of the park’s After Dark in the Park program at 7 p.m. today in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. The program is free, but park entrance fees apply.

Leese is also a cattle rancher on her family’s 100-year-old ranch. She shares her western landscape in bold, moody oil paintings rich with dramatic strokes of color. Wildfire, a penetrating bovine stare, the night sky and other subjects convey what it is like to be fully present in an area.

It’s a source of pride for Leese.

“Presenting the plants and animals accurately in paintings helps the viewer get an idea of what is possible to see on a visit to a region,” she said. “Many of my paintings have readily apparent animals and plants in the landscape and some have hidden animals that viewers like to discover, sort of like they discover animals in the wild by taking the time to stop, listen and look.”

For instance, the flames in her painting “Frying Pan Fire” might appear to be tentacles of a large octopus, or perhaps lava, to some viewers.

Last year, Leese completed a residency at Fort Union National Monument in New Mexico, painting the grass prairie, the Santa Fe Trail and the territorial-style adobe remnants of the largest 19th century military fort in the region. These paintings and her other artwork can be seen on her website at www.aliceleese.com.