you remember the guy with the big hair on that pbs show right? with the happy trees and the happy clouds, bob ross. do you remember just sitting around watching his show and being enchanted by how quickly he could conjure up a whole forest full of his "happy" trees? well, i don't know if leland can do as much as quickly. do you remember the way mr. ross made such incredibly detailed and true to life pictures? yeah, leland doesn't really do that either. not in the foreground at least.
well... do you remember how calm and conserved that guy bob ross was? it always showed in his paintings. dampened colors and natural settings. peaceful and serene, and he always told you how everything was happy. imagine one day he loses it. maybe someone made fun of his hair while he was going to work and he's just flipped his top and the cameras are still rolling. come on, you know you watched and wished for it to happen. i know i'm not just demented. imagine the guy starts painting a cartoonesque, screaming bear amidst all his happy little trees. maybe a few missiles coming to blow up the whole place? imagine he takes his beautiful night time city background and paints a rabbit and a dragon kung fu fighting on top of it. or maybe just paints a dead bird on the living room floor. imagine he does all this in the brightest, psychedelic colors. fantastic backgrounds with little deranged cartoons on top of them that you can't help but smile at. yeah, that sort of sounds like leland's work.
"there's no such thing as a mistake, just happy accidents." - bob ross.
later... addamm (writer and aspiring sycophant)
when i look at leland's art, i feel giddy. it's like there is this joke and i get it, but, once i look again, maybe i don't get the joke, and that's awesome because i don't like to feel complacent or content. leland's art, to me, is like a well-written song or poem. it reminds you of something specific from your life, but everyone can leave with their own interpretation of it. there is ambiguity. which i appreciate. plus he uses pretty colours, and i'm a girl, and you know how us chicks dig those pretty colours.
-paula (waitress, actress, punk rock singer and all-around heart breaker)
The work of Leland Strebeck is anything but boring. He paints what people really want to see. Vivid rich colors as opposed to mute blandness are apparent in every work of his. Far from abstract, Strebeck's canvases boast complete recreation of run-of-the-mill animation in a far-fetched hallucinogenic manner. This is definitely a Shreveport, La. artist in a league of his own.
-Kathleen (photographer and drummer)
leland's art is brilliant because at first glance, you notice the vibrant
colors, the main image, and the cartoon-esque style of painting that define
pop art, but with leland's work you'll notice the realism in the backdrop
and sometimes a sharp message of cynicism. he also isn't afraid to look at
things from a different perspective, he lets his creativity take control in
a way that most artists (and people in general) cannot do.
-Kevin (accountant and bass swinger)
leland ....... the person ......
is NOT ostentatious or pretentious or obtrusive
his artwork ,,, now that's another lesson
it IS ostensive, profound, thought provoking, divertive.....
if you ever have the opportunity to spend time with him i would highly recommend you doing just that and if that is not feasible to at least have ownership of some of his works
if you are in possession of his art
it will occupy not only a spot on your wall but a space in your mind
my life is definitely enriched because of him
-suzieQ (designer and great cook)
Leland Strebeck and Friends
More on Leland at http://derangytang.cjb.net
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