The ladies we love here at DFW Style Daily are multi-talented and diverse in their work. Prominent Dallas Reflectionist artist Lea Fisher is just that. Not only is she an accomplished painter, but she is also the current Woman of the Year for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as well as a DIFFA Style Council Ambassador. We asked Lea about her recent artwork and how she got in touch with her inner emotions. On Saturday, November 17th, Samuel Lynne Galleries opened its doors to the public for their newest exhibition Lea Fisher: Inside Out. This event followed the VIP client preview which was held the previous evening. Lea has spent the last year looking inward – narrowing her artistic focus to create her most recent body of work. The exhibition features 35 works: 8 "Aura Paintings" and 27 "Self-Portraits".  Throughout both events, guests admired Fisher's outstanding work while enjoying light bites and a selection of wines courtesy of Bryan Howell & Zerbina Import. Guests included Clint Bradley, Kary and Eduardo Brittingham, Abra Garrett, Mary Jo and Jay Gartner, Gina Ginsburg, Mauricio Gomez, Yana and Arthur Greenstein, Valerie and Mike Karnes, David Kiger, Darin Kunz, Leti Lackey, Terri Provencal, Phil Romano, Sam Romano, Chrissy and Brian Rudman, Tricia Sims, Deve Stanford, Chuck Steelman, MG Stevens, John Terlingo, Preston Watson, Ken Weber, Parker Williams, Anna and Douglas Won, and Tia Wynne. The exhibit will be on display now through January 2019 at Samuel Lynne Galleries. We got the chance to get a deeper look and talk to Lea about the inspo behind her artwork and more, read our Q&A below. DFW Style Daily: Why was this the right time for you to create your inner Self-Portraits? Lea: "Because they simply could not be silenced any longer." Why did you decide to incorporate the Diamond Dust into your paintings? "There is something extremely visceral about diamond dust and glitter and I have been drawn to sparkle ever since I was a small girl. I was hesitant about working with the materials until I attended an art show in Palm Beach and saw a Warhol that incorporated diamond dust. My thought was, if it’s good enough for Andy, its good enough for me, and since then, haven’t looked back." "I like including diamond dust in a painting that has a dark and serious tone. I think it is interesting to have a slightly twisted or emotional painting with a bit of diamond dust. The juxtaposition of shine and edge is pleasing to me as the diamond dust behaves in a way that refracts light and enhances colors, creating a shining aurora on the painting and adding significance and depth." How do you build an emotional connection with your audience? "As a Reflectionist, I combine a philosophy of art and a style of painting that is grounded in Asian mindfulness meditation practice while utilizing the New Thought philosophy, the law of attraction. When I create a piece I rely heavily on my personal feelings and directly translate them and my life manifestations onto the canvas as to elicit a deep emotional bond with the viewer. It is always my intention to communicate and connect over the human experience with my audience." "My works explore grief, anger, pain, shame, euphoria, hope, gratitude and a multitude of other emotions and personal reflections, through which I am sharing my experience of my journey of self-acknowledgement. Though their creation began without this self-revealing intention, the portraits are an outward expression of my inner psyche – androgynous, narcissistic, haunting, frustrated, grotesque, glamorous, resilient, and triumphant. My hope is that people with see a reflection of themselves as I reveal myself to them through the work." Describe the process of planning and developing your exhibit? "The development of this exhibition was an organic evolution. I started painting portraits without the intention of creating such deeply personal subject matter but it became personal quickly. This exhibition was curated to bring the individual psychological profiles of each of the self-portraits together to display a pictorial autographical story of my life and experience." Who do you think the audience is for this exhibition? "This exhibition’s audience certainly includes the seasoned as well as the new contemporary collector. Although my current work portrays both the masculine and feminine aspects of my experience, I feel the empowered woman, specifically, might enjoy a distinct connection to this work." What do you hope people will get out of your exhibition after viewing it? "I would like the people who view Inside Out to walk away with a sense of humanness, connection and a knowing that experiencing a vast array of emotions is universal. I hope the viewer when communing with my pieces that portray grief, resentment, and pessimism, gain a knowing they are not terminally unique as they experience their heavier emotions in their own lives." "I hope that when one views my self-portraits they are able to relate and know that they are not alone in feelings that may sometimes feel dark and moody." What can we expect from you next? "I will continue to explore my self-portraits. I am in the process of writing a book that further elaborates, in depth, about each portrait and what experience or life event they represent." We recommend checking out the amazing works of Lea Fisher for yourself.  Using Diamond Dust from her figurative Self-Portraits into satellite canvases, Lea has been able to master and create an aura of subtle, luminous energy within her exhibit. There is still time to experience the work of this talented artist who will not disappoint. Be on the lookout for Lea Fisher as she continues to explore her artistic abilities.  Images courtesy of Heidi Lockhart