Finding her talent

As a young girl, the only thing Costa Mesa artist Kathy Leland wouldn’t share with friends was her coloring book.

Leland said she still finds it difficult to part with her work, paintings she described as her “visual diary.”

Hopefully, she’ll have to get used to it.

Her artwork, for sale and on display through March at Cosi restaurant in Costa Mesa, is part of an emerging trend where restaurant owners partner with artists to add a different kind of feeling to their locales.

Cosi opened at Metro Pointe a few months ago, and owner Charlie Cobb said being associated with local artists is a way for him to build a relationship with the community.

For the artist, Cobb said, it’s a way for their work to get exposure in an area where there is a lot of foot traffic, making it a win-win situation for both parties.

Cobb selects artwork for display that not only complements the restaurant’s atmosphere, but that he personally likes.

“I’m not an art expert, but I enjoy it, and one of my favorite artists is Van Gogh. I liked Kathy Leland’s paintings because she had similarities in the work she’s done.”

Van Gogh is one of the artists, along with Rembrandt, that Leland has always admired.

The amazing thing about her work is that she has had no formal training or experience.

Leland has a master’s degree in psychology and is a registered nurse, but painting is not an avocation she learned in school.

She believes is a gift from God.

Thirty-six years ago, a personal experience and turning point in her life drove Leland, a devout Christian, to look for a way to express her innermost feelings.

Not knowing what would emerge once she began, Leland laid a blank canvas on the lawn outside her home in Northern California and began to paint.

That painting, “Breakthrough,” was an abstract oil depicting what looked like a figure rising up out of the sea.

It was representative of her being set free, she said, and since then, her paintings reflect what she described as an eclectic style — sometimes abstract, sometimes realistic.

Five years after she began painting, Leland took an art class in Sausalito — the only art class she would ever attend.

The instructor looked at her work and gave her advice she wasn’t expecting to hear.

“He told me never to take any classes, because he believed it would spoil my creativity and spontaneity.”

Melinda Frohling has been Leland’s best friend for more than 50 years. She said Leland’s painting is her passion, and she definitely has a style all her own.

“She really can put what she feels on a canvas, which is why it’s so hard for her to part with one of her paintings.”

Leland’s work has been exhibited in galleries in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach. Exhibiting in a restaurant is another avenue available to artists today, she said.

“It’s about exposure, getting your work out there to share with others who might appreciate it. Not everyone is an artist, but everyone can appreciate art and have a painting move you.”

Whether it’s nursing or painting, Leland knows she is doing something that in some way will benefit someone else.

“If you discover your gift, that’s a gift,” she said.

All Leland’s paintings are signed in the corner with the letters TGG — To Glorify God.

It’s a line she borrowed from Michelangelo, who always painted to the glory of God.

It’s a feeling the two artists share, Leland said.

Michelangelo also believed his ability to paint was a gift from God.

IF YOU GO:

WHAT: Meet and greet reception for Costa Mesa artist Kathy Leland

WHEN: 5 to 7 p.m. tonight

WHERE: Cosi Restaurant, 901 South Coast Drive, Costa Mesa

COST: Free; complimentary wine, beer and appetizers will be served

INFO: For information, call (949) 748-7000 or go to www.kathyleland.com

SUE THOENSEN may be reached at (714) 966-4627 or at [email protected].