Leah Macdonald


Leah Macdonald during her exhibition at Cerulean Arts

My work is a dialogue between my imagination, my curiosity, my imperfections and my desires. I express the tales of womanhood, sharing stories through form, color and texture. 

I am a portrait artist. I primarily photograph women and embellish the photographs with layers of beeswax, colored wax, painting and drawing. Adding wax for texture and color for mood changes the black and white photographs. Wax embellishes and veils my subjects and I draw to decorate and control the image. The ability to layer mediums and constantly change appearance and texture allows me to stray from reality and reach the playground of imagination. I am interested in images from nature and designs that have floral and intricate forms.
I have enjoyed a varied career path within the arts. I shoot digital commercial photography and I own a small company that designs handmade art books and wedding albums. I taught photography for 7 years at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. I am currently the Education Curriculum Director at the Manayunk-Roxborough Art Center. In 2017 I was selected as the recipient of the NewCourtland Fellowship by The Center for Emerging Visual Artists. Now, over twenty years into my career as an artist and art educator, I have taught and exhibited all over the world — from being invited to do a live encaustic painting demonstration on the Martha Stewart show to working in the theater as the scenic director of In My Body: The Musical.

Leah Macdonald Resume 
Tour & Talk with Leah Macdonald  

Leah Macdonald's most recent solo exhibition was held February 14 - March 10, 2024.  A selection of her works is currently available at the gallery as indicated. For inquiries on all other works shown, please Contact Us


Bird Wallpaper, encaustic on panel, 30" x 24"  


Blossom Wallpaper, encaustic on panel (diptych), 17" x 21"  


Gold Lady, encaustic on panel, 20" x 16" 


Golden Sky, encaustic on panel, 24" x 12" 


Green Gold, encaustic on panel, 24" x 18"  


June, encaustic on panel, 24" x 18"  


Magnolia Wallpaper, encaustic on panel, 24" x 12" 


No. 344, silver toned photograph, 11" x 8.5"  


No. 420, silver toned photograph, 14" x 11"  


No. 431, silver toned photograph, 14" x 11"  


No. 439, silver toned photograph, 14" x 11" 


No. 480, silver toned photograph, 8" x 10"  


No. 545, silver toned photograph, 10" x 8"  


No. 758, silver toned photograph, 14" x 12" 


No. 10523, silver toned photograph, 14" x 11" 


No. 21275, silver toned photograph, 14" x 11"  SOLD 


No. 21294, silver toned photograph, 6" x 5" 


No. 21297, silver toned photograph, 10" x 8" 


Ace in a Dress, Polaroid photograph  


Allegheny, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 24" x 20"  


Annie, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 14" x 11" 


Apple Tree, encaustic photograph on wood panel with handmade metal frame, 19.5" x 26"  


Birds, silver print photograph with encaustic, 15" x 13"  


Black Bird, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 48" x 24"   


Circus, Polaroid photograph  


Circus Horse, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 11" x 14"  SOLD 


Dreaming, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 10" x 8"   


Edge of the Road, encaustic photograph on wood panel with handmade metal frame, 19" x 29.5"  


Fan, silver print photograph with encaustic, 16" x 14" 


Feathers, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 20" x 16"  


Floating Skirt, encaustic photograph with found frame, 28" x 22"  


Grace, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 8" x 10"  


June, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 6" x 7.5"  SOLD 


Kacie, silver print photograph, 13" x 12"  


Lehigh Ave, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 26" x 17"  


Lily Crying, toned silver print photograph, 19" x 14.5" 


Little Apple, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 5" x 3.5"  SOLD 


No. 569, silver print photograph, 23" x 18.5"  


No. 573, silver print photograph, 23" x 18.5"  


Peek a Boo, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 24" x 36"  SOLD 


Peonies in a Vase, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 5" x 7" 


Peonies, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 7" x 5.5"  SOLD 


Princess Ta Ta, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 14" x 11"  


Rose Sky, encaustic photograph on wood panel with handmade metal frame, 11" x 14"  SOLD 


Vincent in Vermont, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 20" x 16"  


White Dress, silver print photograph, 14" x 11" 


Yellow Garden, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 20" x 16" 


Empty Dress, encaustic photograph, 36" x 24"  


Bird, encaustic photograph, 11" x 9"  SOLD  


Tulips, encaustic photograph, 48" x 24"  SOLD  


Black Flowers, encaustic photograph, 10" x 8"  SOLD  


Daydream, encaustic photograph, 14" x 11"   


Darkness, encaustic photograph, 10" x 10"   SOLD  


Inner Fire, encaustic photograph, 14" x 11"  


Key Hole, encaustic photograph, 20" x 16"  

 
Lace, encaustic photography, 10" x 8"  SOLD 


Spirals, encaustic photograph, 10" x 8"  SOLD  


Stella's Garden, encaustic photograph, 11" x 14"  SOLD  


Still Life, encaustic photograph, 12" x 12"  


Black Lace, encaustic photograph, 16" x 16" 


Shadow, encaustic photograph, 16" x 12"  SOLD  


Lace, encaustic photograph, 10" x 10"  SOLD 


Feather Helmet, encaustic photograph, 10" x 8"  SOLD 


Dream Dress, encaustic photograph, 20" x 16"  SOLD  


Dancer, encaustic photograph, 24" x 16"  SOLD


Window, encaustic photograph, 6" x 6"  SOLD


Black Flower,
encaustic on board, 5" x 3"  SOLD 


Flower Abstract 1, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 24" x 18"  SOLD 


Halloween, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 12" x 12"  SOLD  


Hidden,
encaustic photograph on wood panel, 20" x 16"  SOLD


Organic,
encaustic on board, 7" x 5"  SOLD 


Orange Skirt, encaustic photograph on wood panel, 24" x 18"  SOLD 


Red Flower,
encaustic on board, 5" x 3"  SOLD 


Feather,
encaustic on board, 5" x 3"  SOLD


Pale Blue, encaustic on board, 6" x 6"  SOLD