Meet Roy DeLeon, a local Artist who focuses on beauty in the moments in Bothell

Meet Bothell’s own Roy DeLeon. Roy has captured many of Bothell’s local scenes and people of interest. His art captures the beauty of the moment, full of compassion, empathy, and love. It brings a feeling of warmth, caring and connectedness at a time when we all really need it.

Roy has always been an artist. It runs in his family. As a child in the Philippines, his closest neighbors were his relatives. He remembers going to his uncle’s house and watching him draw portraits.

Roy was the oldest of seven children. Only he and his third youngest brother were interested in art. They both became accomplished artists though Roy said his brother was always the superior artist. As kids they would draw pictures of the Beatles and sell them to other children for spending money.

Roy attended the University of Santo Tomas in Manila studying graphic arts. There he met and married the love of his life, Annie.

He and his family landed in the United States in San Francisco in 1972. He and Annie lived in California for the first few years of their marriage near his family. They made the move to Bothell in 1980 to be closer to her brother, and have been here ever since.

He brought his artistic skills with him and went to work for Ch2m Hill Engineering for 30 years as a graphic designer. Now that he has retired, his art is his gift to the world. He no longer takes commissions for work. He said with that comes stress which has already caused health issues he doesn’t want repeated. Instead, he creates art to share joy, love, and glimpses of the divine.

Roy and Annie can be seen walking around Bothell. Almost everyday there is a new perspective of our city as seen by Roy on his social media. He is a very spiritual person and is always looking for the divine everywhere. He finds it and shares it in his art.

The one thing he wishes he could do is travel farther around Bothell. He doesn’t drive very far anymore, so asks Bothell folks who are out and about to send him photos they might equate with joy, peace, love, community–all wholesome, healing, and life-giving human qualities we so hunger for these days.

Here is a link to our interview where Roy can tell you more about himself and his work: https://youtu.be/PGKiDJJqBMI

You can also find Roy’s work on Instagram under Roy DeLeon, or Roy DeLeon on Facebook.