Studio & process
The room where everything happens.
Inside the practice
Before the painting, there is a long, slow looking.
Alongside her painting, Leslie writes about her process, materials and the way a piece comes together — from the first colour notes to the last considered mark.
A working studio
A small, well-lit room with a lot of paint on the floor.
The studio is a converted conservatory — high window, north-west light, wood floor that is, by now, more painting than floor.
Mornings are for the slow, careful work. Afternoons are for sketching, planning and answering enquiries. Tea breaks are non-negotiable.
In-person workshops and a small library of teaching videos are in development for next year.
Notes from the studio
On working
"I work in series rather than one-offs. Three or four pieces stay in motion at once, so I can move between them as layers settle."
On inspiration
"Twenty years in NHS imaging taught me to find composition inside the body. Decades of gardening taught me what real colour looks like."
On materials
"Joyous splodges of random colour form the under-painting. Then transparent glazes laid over the top. The painting's whole life is in the layers underneath."
Inspiration
Art-song, poetry and the Yorkshire Dales.
Classical singing is Leslie's other great love — the lyrics of an art-song often plant the first seed of a painting. A Yorkshire lass at heart, she finds her creative current runs strongest after time spent walking the Dales.
Coming soon
Workshops & teaching videos.
Small weekend workshops at local venues covering expressive florals and building texture, plus a short library of teaching videos — opening for sign-ups next year.
