Originally from Santiago, Chile, Pia Leighton moved to New York on a scholarship from NYU to study her favorite poet—an academic path that led to a PhD in Literature and a deep devotion to languages, writing and poetry. During her two decades in New York, she also immersed herself in the practice of traditional Tibetan thangka painting, studying for over ten years at the New York Tibetan Art Studio in Brooklyn.

Pia is a certified Pause in Joy Reiki Master Teacher and the founder of Whisker & Brush, a mindful art school in Amagansett, NY. Her work—both as an artist and educator—explores the intersection of playful creativity and awareness. Through her teaching, Pia invites children (and sometimes adults) to make art not just with their hands, but with their hearts, cultivating emotional intelligence and intuitive confidence through each project.