Featured Artist Linda Leslie 461 Hits

The Gentleman in the Dacha – a Painting by Linda Leslie from John Witham on Vimeo.
A window into her soul. I invite you for a fascinating look at Linda Leslie’s work of art. ~ Natalie

The Gentleman in the Dacha ~ A Painting by Linda Leslie

Linda’s classical figurative paintings are exceptional. Her figures or people in each piece are symbolic of a particular era in our world’s history; defining the lifestyles and fashion in the 1800’s through the early 1900’s.
The solemnity is the distinction of each of her impeccable pieces. The opaque backgrounds give more rise to her distinctive figures.

It is my honor and pleasure to present Linda Leslie as truly an inimitable artist of the 21st century. Thank you Linda for inviting my eyes to view the beauty of your mind. ~ Natalie

Linda Leslie has been studying classical figurative painting for over four decades. She is a Non-Resident Artist Member of the Salmagundi Club. Her educational background includes studies at the National Academy and the Art Students’ League in New York. She moved from the east coast to Santa Fe in 1994 where she studied with David Leffel, Sherrie McGraw, Tony Ryder, Geoffrey Laurence and Kevin Gorges.

Born: 1951, New Haven, Connecticut

Previous Residences: Huntington, New York – Santa Fe, New Mexico

Current Residence: Missoula, Montana

Contemporary Romantic Narrative

Linda Leslie creates a warm, romantic atmosphere that hearkens back to Victorian styles, yet brings a contemporary focus on feminine power. These quiet figures own the spaces they inhabit and lure you into a way of being that is timeless.

At times tonalist and painterly, she uses oil on canvas to create pieces that are honest yet subtly alienated from reality. Each figure is carefully rendered to make the most of the lighting. They often appear to emerge organically from the earthy ground of the canvas, manifesting as nudes or figures lounging in subtly toned clothes. The soft, tangibly fluffy brushwork reasserts the natural element of Leslie’s works, allowing just enough of the roughness of the canvas to show through. The figures are similarly taken to an organic space, placed in simple rooms or else left to float amid gauzy clouds. This adds a magical touch to Leslie’s body of work, and to her hand in making the work. Her 40 years of figure painting experience manifests in the way the figures materialize on the canvas, elegant and clear, but completely integrated. Each work maintains this balance, giving Leslie’s paintings a compelling sense of surreal quiet.

Inspiration

Leslie’s early inspiration came from her father, James Leslie, Jr. – an architect, who she recalls was frequently drawing. Another strong influence on Linda’s painting was the work of several 19th Century painters: Thomas Dewing, William M. Chase, Edmund Tarbell and Antonio Mancini. For her the “Gilded Age” is symbolic of a time of prosperity for all the arts, an active culture of art patronage and the early beginnings of Feminism as a political movement. All of which, prove to be significant in Linda Leslie‘s work, and her life as an artist.

Links

Website
http://lindaleslieart.com

Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/lindaleslieartist/

Representation

Linda Leslie currently has representation at:

Radius Gallery, 114 E Main, Missoula, MT 59802 (406) 541-7070

M Contemporary, 906 Royal ST, New Orleans, LA 70116 (504) 523-2022

Selby Fleetwood Gallery, Gallery 600 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 992-8877

05.30.2017.285