Courtney Leggett BA
Courtney is a New Forest artist who creates mainly fantasy paintings. She has a deep fascination for myth, nature, and imagination. Her work blends the magic of storytelling with the timeless beauty of the New Forest, creating paintings that feel both grounded in place and touched by something other-worldly.
Career
Courtney studied Art to A level and did an Art Foundation course at Southampton University. She then changed direction and got a degree in history as the past fascinates her. She loves the way it links to legends. She juggles her art career with her other passion, teaching history at Brockenhurst College.
Artistic Style
Working primarily in acrylics, Courtney explores rich colour, texture, and form to bring mythic and dream-like scenes to life. Her paintings balance realism with imagination, recognisable subjects infused with symbolism, emotion, and a sense of wonder. Her inspiration comes from the natural world and animals which is influenced by her local surroundings in the New forest.
Process
Each piece begins with an idea or feeling sparked by nature a certain light through trees, a wild pony’s stance, or a remembered tale. Courtney sketches loosely, layering colour intuitively, and letting the painting evolve organically, allowing the narrative to reveal itself on the canvas.
The forest’s ancient oaks, shifting light, and hidden histories are constant sources of inspiration. Courtney is drawn to the way legend and landscape intertwine here, how every clearing, stream, or wild creature seems to hold a story waiting to be told.
Reflection
I hope my art invites you to pause and drift into a quieter world — one that celebrates the harmony between people, animals, and the land. Whether it feels nostalgic, mysterious, or simply peaceful, I want you to sense the spirit of the Forest within it.
Exhibitions
Courtney’s paintings are exhibited locally through New Forest Painters and at seasonal shows across Hampshire and Dorset. Originals and selected prints are available on request, and I also welcome commissions inspired by the Forest’s myth and magic.
Courtney has exhibited at the New Forest Show, the Lesley Errington Gallery, Marwell Zoological Park, Palais Des Vaches and has also been successful in being able to exhibit her work in open exhibitions at The Red House Museum in Christchurch, St Barbes, Lymington and most recently Southampton Art gallery.
Every summer, Courtney Exhibits at the Five Arrows Gallery in Exbury Gardens and during the Autumn, she exhibits with the New Forrest Artists in Lyndhurst. Throughout the year, Courtney’s paintings are available at The Forest Gallery and Collectables shop in Lyndhurst.
Contact Courtney
You can find Courtney’s art, prints and paintings in the following locations:
New Forest Gallery & Collectables Lyndhurst
If you’d like to see more of my work, discuss a commission, or simply share in the stories that inspire me, please come along to the next New Forest Painters exhibition or contact me via email: or contact me through my Facebook page Courtney Leggett’s paintings. I’d love to connect and talk about art, myth, and the beauty of the forest
Mobile: 07747 440973