Meet the Artist

I am a figurative oil painter drawn to the space where myth, memory, and transformation meet. My work explores the inner terrain of the human experience, especially the quiet places shaped by stillness, shadow, and slow becoming.

Each painting is a quiet offering. They arrive slowly, built in layers, often emerging from dreams or deep emotional undercurrents. I think of them as story-keepers, mirrors that reflect both personal and archetypal truths.

I’m particularly interested in how we move through our internal winters and how we stretch into spring again. The work is often rooted in the feminine mythic, in animal symbolism, and in the quiet persistence of rebirth.

My paintings live in private collections across the U.S. and internationally. I hold a BFA and have exhibited widely, including with the California Art Club, Verum Ultimum Gallery, and Modern Eden. In addition to studio work, I’ve served as a mentor and workshop instructor, and my art has been recognized with national awards.

I live and paint in Southern California, surrounded by desert winds, shifting light, and the echoes of untamed things.


“The Artist” A Short Film by Raji Barbir

Thank you for stepping into my world. I invite you to explore the current collections, or reach out if something speaks to you.
→ [View Available Works] or [Contact the Studio]

CV

Group Exhibitions

2025

• 114th Gold Medal Exhibition, California Art Club, VEFA Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

• Lumen, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

2024

• A Generous Kingdom VIII, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

• Chasing Ghosts VIII, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

• Whisper!, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

• 12th Annual Portrait Show – Myth, Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA

• Liminal III, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

• Arts North International, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins, MN

2023

• Generous Kingdom VII, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

• Chaos and Order – Merit Prize Awarded

• 2nd Annual Women in Art – First Prize Awarded

• Abrazo, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

2022

• Liminal II, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

• Packard Group National Exhibition, No. 7 Center Gallery, South Dakota

• Strata, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

• Chasing Ghosts VII, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

• A Generous Kingdom VI, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

2021

• Chasing Ghosts VI, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

• AIRE, Federation Gallery, Vancouver, Canada

• Liminal, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

2020

• A Generous Kingdom V, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR

• AIRE, Federation Gallery, Vancouver, Canada

Solo Exhibitions

2023

• Living Room Art Show, hosted by Ryan Shuput, June, Salt Lake City, UT

2022

• Whispering into the Well, Desde el Salón, Solo Exhibition, June 25, Salt Lake City, UT

Associations

Juried Artist Member, California Art Club


Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts, California State University, Long Beach

Emphasis in Representational Oil Painting

Private Study, Hein Atelier of Traditional Art, Salt Lake City, UT

Classical Figure Drawing and Painting under Jeff Hein

Publications & Awards

“Redlands Artist Selected for Prestigious Gold Medal Art Exhibition”

Inland Empire News, Page A4, May 14, 2025

Feature on Leona Gamble’s selection for the California Art Club’s 114th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition.

“She Raised Wolves” – 114th Gold Medal Exhibition

Fine Art Connoisseur, June 2025, Page 47

Coverage of Gamble’s symbolic figurative painting in the prestigious CAC exhibition.

“She Raised Wolves” – 114th Gold Medal Exhibition

American Art Collector, June 2025, Page 4

Feature on Gamble’s work in the annual Gold Medal Exhibition hosted by the California Art Club.

Featured Artist Advertisement – “As Above, So Below”

American Art Collector, June 2025 (Ad Section)

ad highlighting Gamble’s contemplative figurative work.

Interview: “Meet Leona Gamble”

Canvas Rebel, January 30, 2024

An in-depth conversation exploring Gamble’s artistic journey, inspiration, and voice.

1st Place – Oil Painting Category

Arts North International 2024, Hopkins Center for the Arts

Top honors in a nationally juried exhibition for excellence in oil painting.

Exhibition Cover Artist – “Abrazo”

Verum Ultimum Gallery, July 2023

Selected as the cover artist for an exhibition celebrating emotional and symbolic connection.

Artist Talk: “Leona Gamble and Her Personal Myths”

Fine Art Shippers, July 12, 2022

Conversation on myth, symbology, and the feminine psyche in Gamble’s body of work.

Exhibition Cover Artist – “Strata”

Verum Ultimum Gallery, July 2022

Cover artist for an exhibition exploring layered meaning and transformation.

“Contemporary Figurative Art by Leona Gamble”

300 Magazine, August 22, 2020

Online feature highlighting Gamble’s narrative-driven figurative oil paintings.

Teaching

2024

• 2-Day Portrait Painting Workshop, Kimball Art Center, Park City, UT

2023 – 2024

• Art Instructor, Kimball Art Center, Park City, UT

• Private Art Mentoring, Leona Gamble Studio

  • Interpret the personal meaning

  • Find the Spark of Inspiration

  • Explore the depths of your possible paths

  • An Invitation to take a Closer Look

  • Remember Your Old Forms

Explore Originals