Meet Karolina Leonte of Art by Karolina in West Los Angeles/Santa Monica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karolina Leonte.

Karolina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Krakow, Poland. I moved to Los Angeles in 2009 and have been living and working here ever since.

Due to my father’s influence, I was only a few years old when I started drawing. My Dad drew in the past, and he was quite good at it. He was the first to spot a real talent in me. I have never gone to an art school, although I did participate in a drawing workshop after school hours in my hometown where I practiced drawing still life. I quickly realized my true passion is to draw people with a focus on realistic types of art. I’ve long thought that being an artist is a very unrealistic career, so I looked into other areas where I could apply my artistic ability. While still in Poland, I earned a diploma in makeup artistry and worked directly with photographers on photo shoots and also did body painting for dance and theater groups. I also worked as a photo model for a few years.

Then in 2006, I met my husband, who is from Los Angles. After a long-distance relationship that lasted three years flying back and forth (mostly him), I decided to move to the City of Angels to start my new life. I was fascinated with animated films and decided to pursue a degree in Animation, specializing in CGI computer animation. I studied full time while working part-time in a few restaurants in Westwood. I graduated with honors, yet I struggled to get a job in the animation field. In the end, I realized this profession wasn’t for me as partly because of the time required in front of a computer screen but also the inability to truly create your own form of artwork. More and more I missed drawing with pencil and paper, laying my thoughts out and investing the time to create an original piece. Interestingly enough, I was inspired by a photo of my little dog Nika, and a short time later, I completed what is arguably the style of drawing I’m currently applying today. With each drawing, I began to improve dramatically and now land commissions from people who simply see samples of my work and also sell limited edition prints and originals of my art. I suddenly realized this is my destiny and I needed to commit full-time to my passion, so I left my restaurant job at the W, and now two years later I am exhibiting my work in multiple venues and channels.

A lot has happened since I left the W. I’ve created a website, started an Instagram account for my art, hosted my first art show in Santa Monica and am now selling both originals and prints of my work. Early on, I was approached by many people about doing commission work, which I’m also doing on a regular basis. I’ve drawn portraits of individuals, couples, dogs, and even a fish. A realistic drawing can be a wonderful gift or alternative to a photo of that you simply can’t replicate.

Recently we converted our house garage into an art studio, and now I have a great place to work from. I am pleased I took the risk to be a full-time artist and am excited about the future. I feel it’s just the beginning and that I am just warming up. When I look down the road and into the future, I smile and believe this is my happy place.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As I mentioned, it has been a long journey. I struggled with my career choice for quite some time. It took courage to peruse my dreams. Being an artist can be a challenge in itself. My type of art requires many hours to complete one piece. It also takes time to find an audience wide enough to begin selling your art. It took me years to develop my style, and there is always room to grow. I’m mostly self-taught, and I’ve improved with lots of practice and experimentation, but also by making mistakes and not getting discouraged. Consistent, hard work and love for what I do, got me to where I am now.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Art by Karolina story. Tell us more about the business.
I specialize in hyper-realistic drawings. People often think it is a photograph. I only use pencil on heavy, thick paper, and blend together graphite, charcoal and sometimes infuse colored pencil. Each drawing takes from 50 to 200 hours, and occasionally up to a month to finish one. You don’t often see this type of art, and I think what sets me apart is the amount of detail I add to each drawing. To really differentiate from standard drawings, I spend several hours on granular detail to achieve a very realistic portrayal of my subjects.

Hyper Realism requires a lot of discipline. Each time I start a new drawing, I get super excited and feel this growing tension in me while I draw. It’s not about succeeding or failing but centered on what I’m about to achieve. You just can’t wait to see the final result. It’s a great feeling. However, you need great patience because it takes time. I love seeing how from a blank, white sheet of paper, a face slowly appears. It’s a one of a kind experience. During this process, I lose myself in the drawing. It’s like being in my own little world.

The most personal drawing series – and the one that I am most proud of – is called “United State of Mind.” The message is simple: we are all united, despite our ethnicity, culture, or geography. Over the course of a few months, I drew portraits of women from different backgrounds and ethnicity using photographs I’ve personally taken of those participating. Equality is something I am truly passionate about. I am an immigrant myself, and I know how it feels to be discriminated against simply because of where you from or pre-conceived notions.

My other art series is called “Fame,” and those are the drawings of celebrities I admire or I am inspired by. I often use and blend a few different photographs as a reference, adding my personal touches, and sometimes using a splash of color. For example, in my drawing of Bowie, I added a red lightning bolt to represent what we all so acutely recognize of him.

Currently, I am working on a new series, focusing on female strength, grace, and beauty. I am using some private photographs as a reference that I collected over the years while working in the modeling industry back in Poland. I am allowing myself more artistic freedom on this one and am excited about where it might take me. I’ll add my imagination to the realistic type of drawing skills that I developed over the years for a similar yet unique result.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck has not played much of a role in my business. Commitment and dedication got me to where I am now. I believe though that in life, it’s all about timing. For example, how I met my husband by total accident back in Poland, and now here I am living in Los Angeles happily married for ten years.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.karolinaleonte.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karo_art/

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition, please let us know here.