Dancing at the edge of the Waves
A solo show of paintings by Leila Godden
About the Exhibition
Dancing at the Edge of the Waves is an opportunity to see brand new abstract paintings by the artist, alongside her more traditional seascapes spanning several years.
Inspired by a walk along the beach one January morning earlier this year when an abundance of “otter shells” had been washed up on the shore at high tide after a storm, the abstract works are intriguing and beautiful, exploring texture and mark making. As the sunlight caught the gleaming wet shells in the calm after the storm, they emitted a luminescence hinting at fragility alongside resilience. The brutality of the recent storm was contrasted with the quiet beauty at the edge of the waves as they lapped gently onto the pebble beach. The seagulls were excited as they swooped in for a feast whilst the artist was excited feasting her eyes on the beauty before her and imbuing the essence of what she would take back to the studio & paint.
It is this juxtaposition of fragile and powerful that is the underlying theme for these works.
There is a continuum to the paintings which are linked by the coastal inspiration and use of a limited palette yet show a move away from the figurative towards total abstraction.
About the Artist
Leila Godden is a Sussex based contemporary painter specialising in seascapes and abstract paintings using acrylics.
Her practice explores the coastal landscape with its vast panorama of changing light, dramatic weather and powerful water framed by rocks solid with history, yet transient with time and the rhythm of the earth. Brought up on the coast, this environment has a deep resonance within her.
Since August 2022 she has been based in Bexhill-on-Sea, a few minutes’ walk from the beach with its ancient rockpools and extraordinary quality of light over the sea. Her Fine Art Practice has been developing over the last few years.
Something deeper has evolved and she is finding a new eloquence to the mark making, composition and gestural painting. Her response to the coast is becoming more abstracted and the ongoing fascination with rocks and nature continues.
The paintings are intended to evoke a visceral response in you, the viewer, something deeper than just “seeing”. Perhaps it taps into a memory or feeling personal to you. Beyond words but sensed and understood.
Leila exhibits in London with the Free Painters and Sculptors (FPS) and is represented by Signet Contemporary Art, on The Kings Road in Chelsea London. Her work has been selected for The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI) 2025, 2024 and 2023, The Society of Women Artists (SWA) 2024, 2023, 2022, 2018, 2016 and 2015 and ING Discerning Eye, 2020, 2019, 2017 at the Mall Galleries in London, The Royal West of England Academy in Bristol, (RWA) 2019 and C24 Gallery in New York City 2020. She is a member of Sevenoaks Visual Arts Forum (SVAF) and the Fine Art Practice Development (FAPD) programme with The Bridge Arts School.
Book an Art Consultation
As art lovers and collectors ourselves, we believe in trying to understand exactly what our customers are looking for in order to help them invest in art that they will love forever.
Whether you are looking to buy a piece of art for your home or start a collection, we are here to help and guide you.
Book a private art consultation in your own home today.