He has been a member of the Australian Guild of Realist Artists since 2001 and last year collected 2 commendations in the national Australia At Large competition.
He held his first solo exhibition in 2006 and followed the success with the formation of the Untamed Artist Network, a group of wildlife artists spanning the globe who shared his passion for wildlife conservation and pledged to donate a portion of their profits to wildlife programs.
His giving nature also extended to others as he became an active participant in online forums such as wetcanvas, showing his working methods and helping nurture the skills of his fellow artists. His passion for teaching soon lead to online art classes, allowing each student to learn at their own pace in their own space. He also earned a reputation as a talented demonstrator, sought out by many art shows around the state.
Early 2008 has seen the first of his collaborations with Melbourne Zoo come to fruition in the form of the Twilight art demonstrations taking place throughout February as part of the annual Twilight concert series.
Leigh has collected awards at the 2007 Frankston High School Art Show for best oil and the 2007 Bayside En Plein Air event, collecting 2nd place with his depiction of the Beaumaris cliffs. In 2008 he received People's choice at Yakkerboo Art Show and Best in Show at Frankston High School.
Leigh worked with Patrick Hedges in 2008 to create the Tears of Leaves exhibition which was on display at Monarto Zoo, South Australia from October 2008 to December 2008. The show was opened by Dr Jane Goodall.
Leigh recently had 2 works make the finals of BBC's Wildlife Artist of the Year competition.
