Jessica Leonard
she/her
Somewhere Between Absence and Presence
Jessica’s painting practice explores the stillness found within everyday life, focusing on quiet in-between moments that hold calm, uncertainty, detachment, and emotional complexity. Her work considers the tension between absence and presence, connection and distance, capturing fleeting scenes that feel both familiar and atmospherically charged. Through daily routines and ordinary actions, she is interested in moments where attention suddenly sharpens — when a person becomes grounded and fully present within their surroundings.
The paintings act as observations of an internal response to light, space, and atmosphere. Using strong compositional lines, high tonal contrast, vibrant colour, and translucent layers of paint, she aims to create a sense of structure and grounding within ordinary scenes, heightening quiet observation. Her work maintains a subtle detachment between viewer and depicted space, reinforcing the idea that stillness can hold ambiguity, contemplation, and quiet intensity.
Waiting, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm.
Detail Waiting.
Here and Now, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm.
Vestige, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm.
Space Between, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm.
Detail Space Between.
Vacant, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm.
Reservations, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm.
Withdrawn, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm.
Traces, acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm.
Research
Teaching Placements
St. Josephs Secondary School, Rush, County Dublin
Skerries Community College, Skerries, County Dublin
Presentation Secondary School, Warrenmount, Dublin 8
Francis Street School, Dublin 8