The Search for
“A Painting with Heart”
A Collector’s Journey
Trevor and Laura are truly “creative heart” people.
A quality beautifully reflected in their stunning Cape Town apartment. With Trevor’s background in the clothing industry and their shared passion for the arts, renovation, and decorating, their home is a vibrant testament to their refined taste and strong support of local South African artists.

“creative heart” people
Their double-volume loft studio apartment, bathed in natural light, is the perfect backdrop for their impressive art collection. It features works by acclaimed artists like Makiwa and Derric van Rensburg, alongside a cherished, previously purchased
Art with heart
This earlier piece, proudly displayed above their fireplace, immediately commands attention with its vibrancy of colours and movement. It’s a wonderful example of Leonie’s love for colorful art and mark-making, truly exuding a joyful and uplifting love for life through its vibrant reds and blues.

The Journey So Far
This globally-minded couple lives and works between South Africa and internationally, with another
Leonie E. Brown painting gracing their home in Australia, testament to their enduring connection to her one of a kind work. Laura, having followed Leonie’s expressive artistic career for several years, recently seized the opportunity to acquire another “heart” painting directly from the artist online. The newest addition, titled ‘Light Shines in the Darkness,’ is a powerful
emotive abstract art piece from Leonie’s later encaustic-inspired work.

Unveiling the Layers: Cold Wax Explained
Cold Wax Painting is a distinctive style of oil painting where the artist blends a soft wax medium directly into the paint. This mixture creates a thickened, frosting-like consistency, allowing for a heavily
textured surface. Leonie customizes her application by adding various amounts of cold wax to the paint, mixing them with a palette knife.
Cold Wax Explained
The varying ratios create incredible textures and degrees of translucency, resulting in truly modern textured canvas pieces. After application, the wax can even be heated to achieve a unique ‘melted’ appearance, adding another dimension to the artwork.

Artist Insights: The Light Within the Layers
As Leonie E. Brown herself profoundly states: “True strength lies in accepting my responsibility in being truthful, honest and vulnerable. Truth is seeking for the light, searching for the glimpse on the water. The truth is that darkness does not overcome the light, but the light shines brightest when it is dark.”
This philosophy is vividly reflected in ‘Light Shines in the Darkness’ and other
uplifting spiritual emotive art pieces. It’s an invitation to see beyond the surface and connect with the resilience and transformation inherent in her work.

I’m deeply grateful, Trevor and Laura, for the honor of sharing my creative spirit in your intimate space.
About me
I create layered abstract paintings that transform personal and collective memory into visual experiences. Working primarily in encaustic and mixed media with stitching, my “Threads of Life” series explores how our stories are woven from countless moments, relationships, and experiences—some vivid as gold leaf, others worn thin like faded thread, yet all essential to the tapestry of who we are.
Berlin-based gallerist Irina Rusinovich describes my work as “fearless and emotionally charged,” noting that my paintings “don’t just take up space physically, but energetically.” She recognizes my “bold and instinctive” use of color, praising how “reds, blues, and flashes of unexpected hues carry weight—they feel like emotion in motion.” My compositions, she observes, maintain “a sense of chaos being held just barely in balance,” while the “raw, tactile quality” of layered materials creates works that are “physical, almost sculptural.”
Each painting becomes a mirror, inviting viewers to find themselves within its translucent layers. My hope is that you don’t just see paint and materials—you see a reflection of your own journey, a visual prompt to explore the beautiful, intricate tapestry of your own life and the memories that make you, you.
Available for exhibitions, commissions, and gallery representation.

Unveil the Layers
Join the Leonie.e. Brown Community
Step beyond the surface of creation and into a world where art meets soul. As a valued member, you’ll receive:
Exclusive Studio Unfoldings
Peek behind the easel and witness the alchemy of encaustic and mixed media as new layers of meaning emerge.






