All Artwork

About the Artist

Not formally trained in art, Leslie began to draw when she traveled as a way to see more clearly what was around her. Instead of a camera, she carried a notebook, pen, and tiny paint kit. When the car stopped for others to hop out and take a picture and make a pit stop, she looked at the scene and whipped out her pen and paint. Time to go! She learned to draw fast. The simplicity of her paint palette and the speed with which she painted has become her signature style.

Leslie is part of the landscape of northwest lower Michigan. She is of its earth and freshwater. It was her childhood playground, her ancestral home, her love affair, and some day, the place of her burial. The colors of butterfly weed and bluestem are hers, the feel of bedrock shale and limestone are hers. The smell of pine, tamarack, and cedar are her deepest memory. The native trees speak to her and the waves on the shore sing the music she knows. These stars and the blaze of sun mark her passage of time. Here is the magic of her life. Wherever she goes in the world, this sense of home travels with her. It is what she has to offer others, just as the people of far distant places share their homes and lives with her. Home again, she feels enriched twice over. She believes wherever we are, every day, we each create the story and the adventure of our lives. Here are her favorite stories and drawings. We hope you enjoy them.