Starting Gate

Jessica Leonard is a contemporary realist oil painter from the Saratoga area known for highly detailed work that captures the spirit of her subjects, especially thoroughbred racing. Her realism is not about copying a photograph, it’s about noticing what a camera misses: the shift of light across muscle, the quiet tension in an eye, the split-second expression that makes a horse feel singular. She works with a disciplined, limited palette that strengthens her color control and gives her paintings a cohesive, refined atmosphere.

Leonard earned a BA in Fine Art from SUNY Plattsburgh (2003) and has built a reputation within the racing community through both exhibitions and collector relationships. She has been selected multiple years as a Signature Artist for Saratoga Springs’ “An Unbridled Affair,” and her work has been featured by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Whether the subject is a racehorse portrait or a track-side moment, her goal stays consistent: to translate precision into presence, and to make the viewer feel the same pull she felt when the scene first stopped her.