Lea Colie Wight
“From time to time you notice something unexpectedly beautiful in the most ordinary person; the overlooked corner will tell the story of the people not present; something will tug at you and you take a second look. I hope to provide the viewer with that sort of connection and maybe prompt them to look closer at the world that they pass through. I acknowledge the incredible good fortune I have to be an artist and I hope to justify it.”
Lea Colie Wight was born in Philadelphia, Pa in 1951. She earned a BFA from The Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1974. In 2003 Lea discovered Studio Incamminati, an intensive Atelier founded in Philadelphia by renowned artist Nelson Shanks and entered as a student. In 2005 Lea was invited to join the teaching staff rising to become one of the lead teachers at that school. Lea periodically served as teaching assistant to Nelson Shanks at The Art Students League in New York and has served as lead instructor for various Studio Incamminati workshops as well as her own workshops. She has been awarded an Honor Award at the Portrait Society of America’s national competition in 2009 and in 2010 as well as a Certificate of Excellence in 2011. Her work has been featured in numerous publications.
Lea maintains a studio in Manasquan, New Jersey as well as in Philadelphia.
2011 Highlights
Lea is a faculty member at the Portrait Society of America’s 2011 annual conference where she will be teaching a drawing workshop with Nancy Guzik. Lea is again exhibiting at the Salon International Exhibition hosted by Greenhouse Gallery and at the Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Devin Galleries, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
She has a feature article in The Artist’s Magazine an interview in International Artist Magazine and a DVD in production through American Artist Magazine. She will be a faculty member at The Weekend With The Masters in NYC this summer.
2010 Highlights
“Waiting” a portrait has been juried into the prestigious “Inspiring Figures” exhibition at The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. 2010 exhibitions and awards include being selected as one of the top 15 artists at the 2010 Portrait Society of America National Competition and Exhibition for the second year in a row and her Self Portrait subsequently received an Honor Award. Lea is again exhibiting at the Salon International Exhibition hosted by Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio, Texas as well as having a painting juried into The Oil Painters of America National Exhibition at the Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona. In March Lea is one of seven artists exhibiting paintings in the Interior Show at the Waterhouse Gallery in Santa Barbara, California. “The Wedding” has been juried into the Fort Wayne Museum of Art’s Biennial Contemporary Realism show.
2009 Highlights
The painting “Waiting” was awarded an honor award in the prestigious 2009 Portrait Society of America competition and exhibition.
“Morning” was awarded 3rd place at the Salon International 2009, a project of The International Museum of Contemporary Masters, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art. The exhibition was judged by Daniel Green who also awarded Lea’s painting “Russell” an Honorable Mention in that same exhibition.
“Breakfast News” was juried into the prestigious Salmagundi Club’s annual Non-Member show and was awarded The Art Times Award.
“Lauren” a pastel, was awarded the Ridgewood Art Institute Award at the Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club exhibition at the National Arts Club, NYC
Lea was the featured artist in the November 2009 issue of American Artist Magazine.
Selected Exhibitions and Competitions
2011 Portrait Society of America Annual National Portrait Competition - Certificate of Excellence
2011 Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Devin Galleries, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
2011 Freeman Gallery, Philadelphia - The Artists of Studio Incamminati Exhibition
2010 The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio - Inspiring Figures exhibition - Honor Award
2010 Contemporary Realism Biennial, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, September through November, 2010
2010 Interior show, March 2010 Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, Ca
2010 Oil Painters of America Annual National Exhibition, Legacy Gallery, Az
2010 Portrait Society of America Annual National Portrait Competition – top 15 finalist – Honor Award
2010 Salon International – Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2009 Portrait Society of America Annual National Portrait Competition, top 10 finalist – Honor Award
2009 Salon International – Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, Texas, 3rd place and Honorable Mention – Daniel Green juror
2009 FAN Gallery, Philadelphia, Group Show
2009 Art Renewal Center annual Salon – Semi Finalist
2009 The Ambassador’s Show: Portrait Society of America,
Bernardsville, NJ
2009 Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, National Arts Club, RAI Award
2009 Bucks Gallery of Fine Art, group exhibition
2009 Markheim Art Center Exhibition
2008 Solo Show “Beyond Classical Realism: Paintings of Light and Color” Georgian Court University, Lakewood, NJ
2008 Drawing Magazine, Finalist in the Cover Competition
2008 Studio 21 Gallery, “The Art of Drawing”, Charlotte, NC
2008 International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art Salon
Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, Texas
2007, 2006, 2005 American Red Cross Benefit Show, Princeton NJ
2006 “Mastery and Meaning” The Union League, Philadelphia
2006 The Art Student’s League, New York group exhibition
2005 The Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Annual Juried Exhibition
Notable Collections
Mr. and Mrs. Derek Pew
Mr. and Mrs. George Harms
Mr. and Mrs. James Orphanides
Mr. J. McFadden
Mrs. Carol Fitzgerald
Navy Cmdr. Ellen Emerson
Mr. and Mrs. George Lucas, NJ
The Larry and Anne Hall Collection
In Print
The Artist’s Magazine, Feature Article, “Stillness and Light” April 2011
International Artist Magazine, February/March 2011
Classical Life Drawing Studio, Lessons and teachings in the Art of Figure Drawing. Hardcover book - The Art Students League of New York
American Artist Magazine, November 2010, article, Inspiring Figures: Portraits by Women
American Art Collector, May 2010, article - American Legacy
International Artist Magazine, August 2010, article - The Art of the Portrait
American Artist Magazine, November 2009
“Lea Colie Wight – Painting What You See at a Glance” featured artist & cover
American Artist Drawing Magazine, Summer 2008
The Art Renewal Center web site - Ateliers
American Artist Drawing Magazine, Fall 2007
The Art Students League of New York 2006 & 2009 catalog
Broad Street Review, Philadelphia, November 2006
American Artist Workshop Magazine, winter 2005
Teaching and Workshops
2011 Portrait Society of America National Conference - Faculty
2011 Weekend With the Masters - NYC June 22 - 25th - Faculty
Winter 2011 Still Life Workshop January
Winter 2010 Still Life Workshop January 25 – 29
2005 to Present Instructor Core Program, Studio Incamminati
2008 & 2009 Lead Instructor Studio Incamminati Intensive workshops
2005 to Present Instructor Advanced Workshops, Studio Incamminati
The Art Student’s League of New York, teaching assistant to Nelson Shanks
Memberships and Affiliations
The Salmagundi Club, NYC
Catherine Lorillard Wolf Art Club, NYC
Pastel Society of America
Portrait Society of America
Oil Painters of America
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