“Make Whole”
Tetraptych 9” x 12” watercolor
Wynne Leung McIntosh, 2020

I was raised in a family of engineers, though I always felt more connected to the arts. Somehow, I continued to draw, paint and sketch throughout college. There were several times that I attempted to make art full time. First time was right after college. Then again in Kelowna. Third time in Seattle and most recently in San Francisco. I'm about to try again.

Make Whole is a piece that I made as one piece with four papers taped together. I hope that she serves as a gentle reminder that it will take time to "put myself together again" so to speak from having taken apart what I loved the most growing up. I hope that she continues to encourage me.

Today, finally without financial challenges in my life for the very first time. I'm feeling scared and excited on this new journey. Despite everything I hope that this effort and courage brings me closer to the artist that I want to be and a more whole and complete being.

Wynne Leung McIntosh

Gallery

“Kelowna” - Photography: Cameron McIntosh

Art making gives me time and space to look within myself. It’s where I can feel safe coming back to when I am feeling overwhelmed or worried. Especially at this time of many major transformations. Getting married, moving to a different country, relocating, starting my own business and reuniting with my mom. All at the same time. It’s a lot. A lot of great, awesome, loving and much needed transformation and healing.

Whenever I write, draw or paint my heart remembers why I’m making these changes and there are no words to explain why rather than just my eagerness to let life love me. To know it and feel supported by it.

I am so grateful to have access to an art practice as it helps to find ground me back to my heart.

Namaste

Wynne

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“Tears From Heaven”, Acrylic on muslin, 36” x 60”, Wynne Leung, 2019

This is a story about a girl. Inside that girl is another one who couldn’t stop crying.

Her tears seeped into the ground and over years made rivers and waterfalls. Her tears grew beautiful flowers, trees and vegetation. Soon, mountains were filled with beautiful flowers, bees and furry friends. Fish swam through the rivers covered with flowers.

The scent of flowers blossoming emitted through her face and skin. People who passed by can feel and smell the aura of being alive - of being able to cry for the entire world. Strangers came and hugged her and she never knew why. Travelers she met in different places would open up to her and tell her deep stories and she also never knew why. But she listened and felt for them.

She also never knew until this painting was made that the years of crying that is what birthed a magical place filled with colorful fresh flowers, tress and a never ending supply of water.

She stopped feeling ashamed of feeling her emotions deeply and embraced this beautiful place that was created inside of her. She can finally feel proud to share her inner world with others.

Fin

“Tears From Heaven”, Acrylic on muslin, 36” x 60”, Wynne Leung, 2019

I grew up in a family that wasn’t mine. I was kind of like adopted with love to my aunt and uncles who were all engineers. Cousins that I grew up with were also focused on math, sciences and engineering. I struggled, every year to compete with them in grades but I would always be second, third or fourth place. Yes, that is a real thing though not sure if it just made me feel worse :D

I loved the arts. I just did. I loved making it, drawing, colors and painting. But nobody else in the family did. Through learning math and art I found myself in the field of design. For years I wondered where are my people at! Where are all the painters and artists? However, knowing how to do math, did help in design. As I learned I equally enjoyed making something that is fully functional, works and is beautiful :) Like a real Marie Kondo kind of sparks joy.

During my time in San Francisco I explored that a lot hoping to love the two different pieces of myself completely.

I am so grateful for the friends and co-workers who joined in to explore that together and made me feel less alone. My friend Ann and I organized a series called Sip & Sketch; where we would create art in tech companies and at the YMCA. I didn’t know it then; but I know now that I did it hoping to find people like me; who were also interested in both art and engineering.

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The world of public arts is still unfortunately not well funded at all, compared to the amount of money in tech. I joined a fellowship called Emerging Arts while in SF that was funded by the city. They gathered twenty five public workers such as teachers, program directors and gallery managers. Once a month we met at a warm public space that is donated by the city. Depending on where we got space sometimes the gathering was in SF, but sometimes we would need to travel to Oakland or other parts of the city like the Tenderloin. When I opened the fridge in those spaces I usually saw neatly packed lunches and maybe sometimes I saw milk. This made me feel shocked. Compared to the daily fresh free meals I received working in tech and all the free snacks. It just felt confusing how different those two worlds were. How can this be, if both worlds needed each other that one didn’t have the same as the other? Experiencing those two worlds I often felt guilty for having so much for free yet knowing there is another part of me that also belongs to a place that doesn’t have the same resources.

I wonder what will happen to us in the future? I hope that both worlds come closer together. I think they are. I’ve seen more collaborations between the arts and tech companies in the last year. Such as commissioning large murals and more artwork in tech spaces. I guess we’ll see.

Wynne

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"Exodus", Mixed Media on Paper, 20" x 30", Wynne Leung

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(work-in-progress) Wynne Leung

I notice that as I write more in the evenings my drawings and paintings are also becoming more clear. It’s like I’m able to articulate through them. Drawing and writing are perhaps similar in the ways in which they express. More work on this one this week. Looks like we’re just getting started.

“Still Waiting”, acrylic on muslin, 36” x 60”, Wynne Leung, 2020

“Still Waiting”, acrylic on muslin, 36” x 60”, Wynne Leung, 2020

“Still Waiting”, acrylic on muslin, 36” x 60”, Wynne Leung, 2020

Love is love.

Wynne