Leith O'Malley is a South Australian contemporary visual artist who works mainly in the medium of oil on large canvas. His paintings often exhibit a fondness for figurative expression and revel in blurring the line between fine art and illustration. Leith has studied under renowned Australian artist and film maker George Gittoes, who has won the prestigious Blake and Wynne Prize for visual art and has also holds the position of official Australian War Artist.
Leith has continued to exhibit in various group and solo exhibitions and created the promotional artwork for not only the Adelaide and Newcastle Jazz Festivals but also the first “Rio-Havana-New York” Jazz & Latin Festival held in Moscow in late 2004 along with the Saratoga Jazz Festival (New York) during 2007 which featured prominent musicians George Benson, India Arie, David Sanborn, Al Green, John Scofield and many more..
Leith is represented by The Frances Keevill Gallery in Sydney, but also exhibits in Melbourne and Adelaide galleries.

Artist’s Statement
I like to think of my work as simply honest and original in its intent, with a fondness for line and figurative expression. For me, creating art has always been about self expression and truth…about producing something relevant and quite introspective… a looking inward.

My own celebration of creating art in isolation to some degree, and  my continuing love affair with both the joy and burden of that infatuation. I have always received tremendous satisfaction from the act of drawing or watching something materialise on a sheet of paper in front of me. There is something special about this act which draws me back time and time again.

As lyrical as it may seem, I’m simply trying to articulate and express myself through metaphors of colour, tone and surface texture using a sort of subtext of paint, brushstrokes, collage and mark making. I guess that like a musician, creating art can somehow transport you to another world, and for my own part this has become a very addictive but rewarding ritual.

I’m curious about where this will lead.

Commissions
BHPAustralia, Ericsson Finland, Festical Productions New York, Mitsubishi Motors, United States Coast Guard, Big Day Out Promotions Australia, Guenette Production Company Los Angeles, BHP Civil Products Sydney, University Of San Diego, Supersonic Records USA, Information Branch - Federal Government- Ontario Canada, Bristol University-Uk, Tokyo Electron Arizona Inc, Regional Australia Committee, Sonics Music Magazine, Milestone Media, Triple J Magazine, DB Magazine, Events New York, Wacom Australasia.

Works appearing in Publications/Promotional campaigns

Reef Festival – Florida, USA

EMinor Art & Illustration ezine

Create Magazine (Annual – Best of Illustration edition) Nov 08

Extempore Magazine Sept 08 and May 09

Saratoga (New York) Freihofer Jazz Festival – promotional artwork – Feb 2007

Excitement Machine -  feature art 2007/08

Newcastle Jazz Festival – promotional artwork

Triple J Magazine

DB Magazine – Big Day Out cover art 2007

Artist Magazine 2006

Street Beat Magazine