Jason Chow

Leah Rees started producing art at a young age. She recalls a childhood moment when her mother asked what she wanted to be later in life, and Leah simply replied, &#8220;A painter.&#8221;
Leah earned a degree in architecture at the University of Kentucky. Halfway through her education, she decided she no longer wanted to become an architect; she wanted to pursue her long-time passion of painting.
&#8220;I went to school to learn thought process, not to just make a career,&#8221; says Leah.
Perhaps someone not close to Leah would think pursuing art is ill-advised. However, art is in her blood. Her mother, Sandra Hodges, earned a degree in fine arts from Berea College, and her father was a carpenter. Leah says, &#8220;I never switched from it. . . . I was never gone from art.&#8221;
Now the 25-year-old is back in Berea living with her mother. She&#8217;s employed at the Appalachian Fireside Gallery and Gallery 103, where her paintings are on sale. Being surrounded by artists doesn&#8217;t mean her pursuit of her passion has been any easier, but she perseveres because she understands it&#8217;s all about sacrifice.
Living in a fast-paced world, Leah feels the pressure to produce work quickly. Yet she has made her choice, and she is a hard-working person. Leah, a self-described introvert, doesn&#8217;t mind solitude, and her time at the University of Kentucky is proving useful: Her lessons in architecture have influenced her art in ways she could not have foreseen. However, it will always be the color and freedom that draw her to painting.
&#8220;I think I&#8217;d have a difficult time pursuing fine art in any era,&#8221; says Leah. &#8220;I find myself in between two worlds of realizing my dream and how much work it takes.&#8221;

Not Just A Career