I am both honored and daunted to introduce you all to Leopoldo Gout. Honored because he is a brilliant, accomplished artist and creative force who I admire deeply. Daunted because his talents and body of work are so vast and fascinating that I struggle to know where to start.
Since Leopoldo’s art is very much a wonderland of its own, perhaps I’ll follow Lewis Carroll’s guidance and “begin with the beginning.” Leopoldo was born in Mexico City. His father was an architect, his mother a renowned astrologer and author. This unique artistic heritage - a blend of the technical and celestial - would serve as the basis for his own creative identity and career. Today, Leopoldo is an artist, writer, and filmmaker who works across mediums to, in his own words, “articulate the ephemeral.” Whether you experience it on a gallery wall, the page of a book, or a binge-worthy Netflix series, Leopoldo’s work is consistently distinctive, interesting, and full of beauty.
Grassy Knoll (pictured above) is a great example of Leopoldo’s signature style. Using oil and acrylic on canvas, he worked for nearly 18 months to complete this massive 9.3’ x 9.5’ piece. I am fortunate enough to own two other paintings of his, but if I had to choose my favorite across his expansive body of work, Grassy Knoll would be it. It’s romantic and whimsical, wild and complex. Like a magic realism fantasy that’s come to life in electric, evocative detail.
As I was dreaming up Over Yonder’s concept and shop design, I kept thinking of this painting. For me, it does so much of what I hope to achieve through each of the pieces in our collection. It inspires wonder and delight, it represents tremendous skill and passion, and it is simply beautiful to behold. So, it was decided: Grassy Knoll would travel south from Leopoldo’s studio in New York City to Dripping Springs and be hung prominently at Over Yonder for all to ponder and enjoy. The original was acquired by a collector in New York, but we were able to produce a stunning high-quality print, which Leopoldo embellished with some additional painted details to create a semi-original piece all our own.
To fully appreciate how special this painting is, it’s important to know a bit more about the special man behind it. So I sat down with Leopoldo and asked him about his influences, perspectives, and processes as an artist. Like his art, his ideas are fluid and free, so read on and enjoy the ride…
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What inspired Grassy Knoll? It leaves so much room for our imagination to run free, but what story does it tell for you?
My work is rooted in memory, emotions, and the physical act of it.
I search internally using various patterns of repetition, turning these patterns into triggers—like an operating system where images meld with memories, dreams, and sometimes nightmares. The process itself ignites even more memories.
I work with all mediums - drawing, painting, film, sculpture, sounds, digital art, some technology, some analog - and all the processes really meld, oscillate and cross-pollinate between each other. All senses are involved like a gang — olfactory, tactility, and more—creating a multi-layered dialogue between past, present, and future.
Grassy Knoll specifically is part of an ongoing large-format canvas series I'm creating in my studio. I work on the floor with these immersive pieces, physically moving within them as I make them.
With this piece, I experiment with painting as a form of cartography - a performative mapping where memories surface, clash, and interweave. Where I follow the actions and reactions of mark making. The work unfolds as an emotional terrain, charting landscapes shaped by opposing forces. Memory becomes tactile and multidimensional here, refusing linear narrative in favor of fragmented territory marked by intensity. The images emerge from this sensory conflict, transforming paint into earth, lines into boundaries, and forms into markers of lived experience.
At least, it’s what I aim for.
Without overthinking it... I’m reacting to the process so all the above is after the fact. I feel like a survivor of a storm when I make these works and my thoughts are in reaction to seeing it, so I might change my mind tomorrow or in another time.
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Walk us through your process a bit. Imagine you have a blank canvas in front of you. How do you begin, how do you unfold and evolve your idea as you progress, and how do you know when a work is complete?
I never really know when a piece is complete. The process is intuitive and driven by a deep, weird, pulsating, and almost subconscious dialogue with the work. I search for weird connections and happenstance. I research a lot about process and methods of making, but in the end it's just curiosity and instinct fighting in the mud for a time of day.
At some point, I reach a moment when I have to step away—to abandon the piece so it can exist on its own. I’m always working on multiple projects simultaneously, which keeps the energy fluid and evolving.
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How does it feel to sell a painting? Of course, making money is always nice, but is it hard sometimes to emotionally separate from these pieces after investing so much of yourself in them?
Not anymore. After the fire that destroyed our home, I learned to detach from objects. What matters most to me is the process—the act of creation itself—not the physical outcome. The experience lives on through memory and transformation. I love when people want to live with a work of art. It's a liberating feeling and sometimes it’s scary because we deal with an emotional truth that is always present in the work, and people who see it can decipher most of my truths, no matter how painful.
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Speaking of selling pieces, you have more than a few celebrity clients. Inquiring minds want to know…can you name a few names?
I prefer to respect my collectors’ privacy — but I can mention Idris Elba, Danny DeVito, Mark Ruffalo, and Sharon Stone…that’s all I’ll say. I’m no snitch!
(Pro tip: scroll through Leopoldo’s IG feed if you want to see some famous others who have stopped by his studio and left with a piece of their own).
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I remember a lecture in college by a professor who believed that art should not be “owned” – that, like nature, we rob humanity of beauty and enlightenment when we lock it behind closed doors. What would you say to that?
Professors can barter with philosophical barriers inside of a system... but fortunately, I live outside that building and as an artist the only rule is to try to be truthful and free. In that freedom, I choose to unleash art in every possible way...
Ownership is important for some people, so they want to collect and that is very helpful to us because it keeps the lights on. Some other times, I gift works, I make public works that interact with people, I hide tiny paintings in places, or huge murals...there is no rule.
Still, no one can ever truly “own” the work—they can only rent it for a time.
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You’re originally from Mexico – a place that, in my opinion, produces some of the most spectacular craft and design in the world. How has your heritage shaped your work?
My heritage shapes everything I do, every day. Growing up in Mexico, I was constantly exposed to traditional art and artisans, thanks to my mother’s efforts to surround me with cultural richness. It’s a deep, intricate story that has influenced my creative DNA. For more on this, you can explore these interviews (YouTube Interview and Podcast Episode), where I give detailed examples of this influence.
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In full transparency to our readers, your beautiful wife is my sister. If you were to buy her a nice gift from Over Yonder (which you should), what would you choose for her?
It’s scary to choose gifts for my wife because she has very firm ideas of what she wants and will be brutally honest when she receives something she doesn’t! But, if I were really free to give her a gift of my own choosing, I might first pick the Amor Eterno painting by Luis Romero, both to represent how much I love her and also to support a fellow Mexican artist.
I also love to cook and typically make a huge mess with olive oil when I do, so this pretty Canard Oil Dispenser could be a nice gift to us both.
But, maybe the safest bet is the Hydria Terracotta Vase. She always has fresh flowers in the house, and I love the vase’s mix of Eastern and Western design.
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The Grassy Knoll framed embellished print is available for sale. Please inquire for details. I also encourage you to explore Leopoldo’s other works by following him on Instagram and visiting his website.