J.W. Leslie Fine Art
Oil Painter & Ceramicist

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James Leslie began his artistic journey growing-up along the Connecticut River Valley
outside the city of Hartford. The fertile farmlands of livestock, tobacco, and corn in the lower valleys to the fruit orchards of the higher hills inspired him to create. His desire to capture and express how nature made him feel would become a life-long passion. Fueled by early exposure to French Impressionism and American Landscape Painting, he began to express the rural images of his hometown through painting. Intrigued by light and color, he sets out to create two-dimensional works that reflect the natural phenomenon discovered, not only in Connecticut, but traveling the country, the world, and Northeast Ohio where he now resides.
An early career in the art of stone masonry allowed him to understand the concepts of design, construction, and accomplishment. In 1992 he moved to Colorado and fell in love with the light, color, and atmosphere of the Rocky Mountains. He pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and ceramics at Colorado State University and on to The Ohio State University beginning a career on the gallery and art show circuit. He furthered his studies at Kent State University, earning a Master of Fine Arts. He continues travel for inspiration and creates daily on location or from his studio in Northeast Ohio.
As a young boy I spent my summer days hiking through the woods, visiting the local swimming holes, family trips to the ocean, taking in the beauty of the land. My painting seeks to capture those care-free days of color and ever-changing light. Here in Northeast Ohio, across the country, or abroad, I have always been mesmerized by the kaleidoscope of color, light and atmosphere within the element of trees, sky, mountains, and water. Oil paint on canvas has been my vehicle to capture this joy and beauty each day. I love the feel and smell of oil paint applied to canvas and am intrigued by the never-ending possibilities to capture the beauty before my eyes. A beauty that still sparkles from the days of my youth.

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