Leonard Brooks (Canadian/Mexican, 1911-2011) , "Carnival", 1960, oil on canvas, signed lower right, signed, titled and dated en verso, 29 5/8 in. x 23 11/16 in., framed. Note: Leonard Brooks was born in England but moved to Canada at a young age. Although he was primarily self-taught, he studied at the Ontario College of Art, and at the onset of World War II, Brooks worked as a war artist in England. After the war, Brooks and his wife, Reva, moved to Mexico and began an art colony, working with several other American art instructors. Selling his works in the United States and Canada, Brooks became well-known throughout America, although less so in his home country, a fact that bothered him greatly. Brooks stayed in San Miguel de Allende throughout his life, continuing to paint, write, and teach, and died at the age of 100 in 2011. A prolific artist, he worked in a multitude of media and painting styles, creating charming realistic scenes of landscapes and cityscapes, as well as fascinating abstract paintings and collages. In the painting offered here, vibrant shades of orange and teal are used to complete the composition and convey the frenetic energy of a carnival scene.