About Leanne
The Story Behind the Art
Art Found Me When I Needed It Most
My journey as an artist didn't begin with years of formal training or a childhood dream. It began in 2020, during one of the hardest periods of my life.
I had been living with Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) since 2018, diagnosed after six years of unexplained episodes in 2014. At 24 years old, with a two year old daughter, surgery meant to fix the SVT actually triggered Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS), and the SVT returned soon after.
For eight months I was bed bound or using a wheelchair, facing a future that looked nothing like the one I had planned. Eventually the right combination of medication was found and after a few years I was back to living a relatively 'normal' life. So I decided to go back to chasing my dreams of becoming a nurse in 2019. Unfortunately, this aggravated my conditions and I was hospitalised and having to use my wheelchair again. I had to step away from my nursing degree, the career I had worked so hard toward, and grieve a version of my life I thought I was going to have.
In the depths of that grief, I picked up a pencil. I drew anger. I drew loneliness. I drew sadness. What I didn't know then was that I could draw at all, and that art was about to change everything.
From a Facebook Group to a Career
I found drawing so profoundly therapeutic that I committed to teaching myself. To track my progress, I set up a small Facebook group to document the journey, a record for myself to look back on. Within a week, over 400 people had joined. A week after that, I received my very first commission request.
From that single commission, my skills and my practice grew with every piece. What began as a way to process invisible illness became a professional art practice built on a dedication to detail and realism, the two things my clients comment on most.
Today I work primarily in graphite and coloured pencil, creating bespoke pet portrait commissions and original fantasy and wildlife artwork for collectors across the UK and beyond.
Creating Alongside Chronic Illness
I am still managed by medication for both SVT and PoTS, and whilst I am no longer in a wheelchair, chronic illness remains a daily part of my life. Some weeks I have little to no symptoms. Other weeks I face presyncope episodes, fatigue, and days that are genuinely difficult to navigate. My conditions are unpredictable and invisible, which is exactly why art became such a powerful outlet, and why it continues to be.
Every commission I complete is created with complete focus and care, on my own terms, in a way that honours both the work and my health. That dedication always shows in the finished piece.
A Premium Experience From First Message to Final Delivery
When you commission a portrait with me, I ask for high quality photographs and a description of your pet's personality. A great portrait doesn't just capture how an animal looks, it captures who they are. That description helps me bring their soul to the page.
Progress updates are entirely on your terms. Some clients love seeing the piece evolve; others prefer the full reveal at the end. I work whichever way feels right for you.
When your commission is complete, I package your portrait by placing the portrait on mountboard to keep it from bending. I then place it in a protective sleeve, wrap it in tissue paper and ribbon, and package it in a high quality gift box, ensuring it arrives flat, safe, and ready to be treasured. In all the commissions I have delivered, not a single piece has arrived damaged.
"Leanne drew my 17 year old boxer-lab. Leanne has been incredible with updates and communication about preferences and everything. The final product speaks for itself. It's absolutely stunning. Leanne and her work are absolutely amazing." O Williams, May 2026