Leone Cockburn

LEONE COCKBURN


Born in Bishop Auckland, Yorkshire in 1941 to a farming family, Leone is the second of four children. Her younger sister was the dress and textile designer Angela Holmes of Droopy and Browns Ltd, a high fashion name in the U.K. in the 1970s and 80's. Leone is the last surviving sibling.

Leone moved to Scotland in her twenties having spent some time as a model in London working for the house of Norman Hartnell and later began her art career there. She joined Robin Phillipson's special art class at the Edinburgh College of Art as a mature student and he was an inspiring teacher.

In the 1980s she opened a gallery in Dean Park Mews, Edinburgh and became an agent in support of mainly Scottish Artists. Her catalogue of artists was large and varied and included such luminaries as James Fullarton, Helen Turner, George Devlin and Archie Forrest.

In parallel with her own artistic career she continued to exhibit and guide many artists over the decade well into the 90s, and travelled extensively for her own work including France, Italy and Russia.

In retirement she works from her own studio having limited studio exhibitions and building up her body of work often travelling to Italy, France and Cornwall for inspiration. She also sculpts, in particular horses and the human form. .

Leone has two daughters and six grandchildren.