My Background
Hello, I’m Leanne Fortney, a contemporary figurative painter exploring the psychological side of portraiture and the quiet stories that exist within human presence. Working primarily in oil with a restrained palette, I combine classical painting techniques with a contemporary sensitivity to inner life. My figures often exist in quiet, reflective spaces where small gestures, expressions, and atmosphere hint at emotion rather than telling a direct story.
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My work draws from personal memory, observation, and lived experience. Through the human figure, I explore themes of connection, vulnerability, and resilience, often focusing on the subtle tension between how we appear outwardly and what we carry internally.
My Character
Being an artist is an ever-evolving journey. My artwork shifts and morphs, just as I do, with each collection offering a glimpse into my life. I’m fascinated by people—their habits, patterns, and the narratives they choose to share with the world. This applies to me as well.
I find myself balanced between my masculine and feminine energies, rooted in my desire to support those I love while also nurturing, creating, and expressing that love. Below are my top four character strengths that I strive to reflect in my work.
01
Love of Humor
02
Love of Learning
Liking to laugh and tease; bringing smiles to other people; seeing the light side; making (no necessarily telling) jokes.
Mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge, whether on one's own or formally; related to the strength of curiosity but goes beyond it to describe the tendency to add systematically to what one knows.
03
Love of Fairness
Treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting feelings bias decisions about others; giving everyone a fair chance.
04
Love of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
Noticing and appreciating beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in various domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.
My Education
May 2013
Bachelors of Art in Art History
University of Delaware
My bachelor's degree program focused on the study of American art history.
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"The Department of Art History at the University of Delaware is dedicated to education and research in the history of the visual arts. Internationally recognized for their authoritative and often groundbreaking scholarship, our faculty members are equally dedicated to teaching, having garnered accolades and awards both within and beyond the University community."
Group Exhibitions
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BlackRock Center for the Arts, Germantown, Maryland
Women Artists of the DMV: The Thank You Show
June 20 - October 18, 2026 (scheduled)
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The Delaplaine Arts Center, Frederick, Maryland
2026 National Juried Exhibition
May 2–July 12, 2026
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Artspiration Frederick, Frederick, Maryland
Members Only
April 4 – 26, 2026
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Artspiration Frederick, Frederick, Maryland
Shades of Black
February 7 – 28, 2026
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Del Ray Artisans, Alexandria, Virginia
Toy Stories
January 2 – 31, 2026
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Washington County Arts Council, Hagerstown, Maryland
Annual Community Art Show: The Best Local Art of 2025
December 4, 2025 - January 13, 2026
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Washington County Fine Arts Museum, Hagerstown, Maryland
2025 Cumberland Valley Artists
November 8, 2025 – April 26, 2026
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Artspiration Frederick, Frederick, Maryland
Women Artists of the DMV
November 1, 2025 – January 4, 2026
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The Ven at Embassy Row,
aVENues of connection Gallery, Washington, D.C.
International Women's Art Exhibition
February 7 – March 29, 2025
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Hill Center Galleries, Washington, D.C.
2025 Regional Juried Exhibition
January 15 – May 3, 2025
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Maryland Art Place (MAP), Baltimore, Maryland
Out of Order Online
June 19 – July 6, 2020
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The Athenaeum (Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association), Alexandria, Virginia
Doodles of These Times
April 2 – June 10, 2020
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Shenandoah Valley Art Center, Waynesboro, VA
40Under40 Exhibition
March 1 – 30, 2019
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Publications
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Hedge Apple Literary Magazine​
Hagerstown Community College​
Spring 2025
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​Hedge Apple Literary Magazine​
Hagerstown Community College
Spring 2021