Leo Posillico

Anacortes - Leo Posillico, 79, passed away June 14, 2024. Born and raised on Long Island, New York. Following graduation from School Of Visual Arts in New York City, Leo served as an Army Photography Advisor and Instructor in Vietnam on MP Advisory Team. With a move to the West coast; he landed a position as Art Director in the Communications Department of a Los Angeles-based Life Insurance Company. At Pacific Life, Leo created and designed promotional and advertising materials, including a re-design of the corporate logo, earning an impressive number of commercial art awards. Continued as Illustrator and Designer for corporate, and private companies and with a partner, designed board games, packaging and book cover art, eventually leading to a path of fine art painting.

Mid 1970s he opened his Independent Studio in Los Angeles. While talking on the phone and doodling, created his signature figurative characters that are throughout most of his artwork. With quick and precise brush strokes to animate the basic human emotions in all of us, these expressive figures achieve their movement, to become Leo's People. He had great wit and humor.

For 50 years, his characters have been in his Gallery themes, the Landscape series, Cityscapes and in more recent years, his enlarged People paintings. Working in oils, acrylic, mixed-media and dimensional constructions, all have had a story to tell, visual as well as verbal with his titles. Leo wanted art to be fun, especially with his Word Series.

Leo observed people, a constant awareness of behavior and emotions that he continually strove to express in his paintings and art. As a prominent contemporary artist, was represented nationally in the by Martin Lawrence Galleries and then internationally for 12 years in Japan, and in various American galleries. Leo's artworks hang in public institutions and in the homes of numerous private collectors around the world. Leo participated in juried art shows and designed for text books, magazines, novels, album cover, self-published books, and various print collections and greeting card lines.

Survived by his wife of 35 years, Isabelle (Anacortes), sister Donna (John) (Idaho), brother-in-law Erik (Renee) (Anacortes), brother-in-law, Finn (Lacee), niece Eva (Arizona), nephew John Paul (South Korea), and niece Lia (Philip), Olivia, James, & Sophia (Idaho). The family thanks the many medical professionals who were caring for him over the last 2 years of his years-ago diagnosed pulmonary fibrosis. Incredibly grateful for the care from Hospice of the Northwest, and Donna, for her outstanding care of her big brother and assisting Isabelle. Leo's life will be celebrated with family and friends at gatherings during this year. To share memories of Leo, please visit www.evanschapel.com/obituary/leo-posillico.