The importance of this painting falls on the context of the story behind it. From the first time I saw the Cirque Du Soleil show – Corteo, I was drawn to this character. Little did I know at the time I would end up spending a year watching this very show 3-4 times a week. No matter how many times I watched it, the "White Clown" never seized to mesmerize me, holding my gaze in every act. For the White Clown, appearances are what matters most. He is an authority figure that represents tradition and order. Of all the colourful characters, he admires only the stars and scorns the others. He is the one who opens the door to the magic of the circus. Off stage was when the human behind the character of the white clown reviled himself. Marcello radiated love, sympathy, hope, and joy. In this painting my intentionality was to mould Marcello and White Clown’s personalities together, becoming a proper, yet kind-eyed clown while exposing his authentic humanity.

Leah Probst

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My work explores creative expression by combining figurative painting with texture, movement and experimentation of different mediums. Working mainly in acrylic and oil paint, I convey the meaning, story, and visual inspiration behind each work. I aim to capture the physical likeness and the uniqueness of the individual. I convey clarity and honesty to the portrait, inviting the viewer to appreciate the fundamentals of the subject. I reveal the individual, looking beyond the surface toward the human condition with empathy to the personal connection I have with each subject I paint. The evident slowness in my paintings acknowledge attention paid to the layering of information, built-up levels of paint, and a complexity of mixed colours which bring the paintings to life.