Contemporary Realism

Linda Leslie 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.

Background

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 Art Students’ League and the National Academy 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 Residence: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Current Residence: Missoula, Montana