| Artist Biography Lorraine Leslie |
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| All images © copyright 2008 Lorraine Leslie. All rights reserved. |
Born and raised in New York State, I was a highly
imaginative and creative only child.
I didn't draw or paint that much, early on in my life, but I
would pretend, compose stories in my
head, ham it up as a inspiring rock star in front of my
parents Super 8 movie camera and play with
my large collection of Barbies as a way to express myself. I
got into art accidentally in high
school when I took my first drawing class and really liked it.
I majored in art throughout high
school and did quite well at it, receiving a few awards and
eventually a scholarship to continue
my studies into college. I graduated college with a
Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art from Long
Island University at Southampton College. While I was in
college, I got involved with the college
radio station and became a disc jockey, producing and
airing my own radio shows.
After college, I interned at The Design Centre in London,
England. I fell in love with London and
all that it had to offer a young, creative person away from
home for the first time. I stayed
another year and worked illegally as a cook at a wine bar in
Covent Garden. I became fascinated
with the performing buskers outside of the wine bar and
eventually took up juggling myself as a
way to meet interesting people.
After I came back to the "states," I supported myself in
various art related jobs.
First, working as a art counselor at a day camp and then
paintings sets and building props for local theatres in an
area of Connecticut, that bordered New
York State. I then worked as a window dresser for
Bloomingdale's in NYC and as a freelance
window dresser for various clients around Manhattan.
Tiring of the long commute into the city, I
moved to Kent, CT after visiting it and finding it a beautiful
place to live. My mother, Barbara, had
owned a video store there for a while and I worked there
for a time too.
In Kent, CT, I supported myself by working as a freelance
sign painter and artist, jeweler's
assistant, managed The Heron Gallery and Paris NY Kent
Gallery, cleaned houses, painted murals
and briefly, opened my own art gallery called Madame
Butterflies.
I closed the gallery down and move to Santa Fe, NM.
Inspired by the culture and
beauty of the southwest, I really started to seriously paint
and to develop the style I currently use
in all my paintings.
Since moving to the Southwest area, I have been steadily
showing my artwork at various venues,
galleries, museums, special events and coffee houses.
On April Fool's Day 2005, I opened
Lorraine Leslie Studio, in the Arts District
Downtown Las Vegas, NV
where I lived for a time, before moving back to Santa Fe,
NM again.
It is my wish to find a group
of artists of like mind and spirit to form some sort of art
movement with, but for now I am still searching and
developing my skills and passions in the arts. I also would
love to open an art gallery again, where I could showcase
my artwork,as well as the work of friends and
the artists I admire.
I feel art is my religion, if I can call it that, maybe it's more of
a path that I have chosen to walk. I
feel it has saved me from a life of boredom and has
brought great meaning and purpose to my
life.
Lorraine Leslie
imaginative and creative only child.
I didn't draw or paint that much, early on in my life, but I
would pretend, compose stories in my
head, ham it up as a inspiring rock star in front of my
parents Super 8 movie camera and play with
my large collection of Barbies as a way to express myself. I
got into art accidentally in high
school when I took my first drawing class and really liked it.
I majored in art throughout high
school and did quite well at it, receiving a few awards and
eventually a scholarship to continue
my studies into college. I graduated college with a
Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art from Long
Island University at Southampton College. While I was in
college, I got involved with the college
radio station and became a disc jockey, producing and
airing my own radio shows.
After college, I interned at The Design Centre in London,
England. I fell in love with London and
all that it had to offer a young, creative person away from
home for the first time. I stayed
another year and worked illegally as a cook at a wine bar in
Covent Garden. I became fascinated
with the performing buskers outside of the wine bar and
eventually took up juggling myself as a
way to meet interesting people.
After I came back to the "states," I supported myself in
various art related jobs.
First, working as a art counselor at a day camp and then
paintings sets and building props for local theatres in an
area of Connecticut, that bordered New
York State. I then worked as a window dresser for
Bloomingdale's in NYC and as a freelance
window dresser for various clients around Manhattan.
Tiring of the long commute into the city, I
moved to Kent, CT after visiting it and finding it a beautiful
place to live. My mother, Barbara, had
owned a video store there for a while and I worked there
for a time too.
In Kent, CT, I supported myself by working as a freelance
sign painter and artist, jeweler's
assistant, managed The Heron Gallery and Paris NY Kent
Gallery, cleaned houses, painted murals
and briefly, opened my own art gallery called Madame
Butterflies.
I closed the gallery down and move to Santa Fe, NM.
Inspired by the culture and
beauty of the southwest, I really started to seriously paint
and to develop the style I currently use
in all my paintings.
Since moving to the Southwest area, I have been steadily
showing my artwork at various venues,
galleries, museums, special events and coffee houses.
On April Fool's Day 2005, I opened
Lorraine Leslie Studio, in the Arts District
Downtown Las Vegas, NV
where I lived for a time, before moving back to Santa Fe,
NM again.
It is my wish to find a group
of artists of like mind and spirit to form some sort of art
movement with, but for now I am still searching and
developing my skills and passions in the arts. I also would
love to open an art gallery again, where I could showcase
my artwork,as well as the work of friends and
the artists I admire.
I feel art is my religion, if I can call it that, maybe it's more of
a path that I have chosen to walk. I
feel it has saved me from a life of boredom and has
brought great meaning and purpose to my
life.
Lorraine Leslie
| The above portrait of myself was inspired by my tarot painting "The Magician." photo by Dan Baldwin |
