Hello, I’m Leslie. The most important thing you need to know about me is that I can help anyone make beautiful art.
Yes, even you. Let me show you how.
Making beautiful things is my passion. My other passion is to help you get started.
I’m a fine artist inspired by nature. I specialize in botanical and wildlife watercolor painting. I had a classical training in landscape oil painting. I was first introduced to papercrafting when I was about 4 years old. My great aunt Flossie showed me how to construct a simple paper box–it was magical! I never forgot. Years later on my first illustration interview I left the husband and wife owners of a publishing company with a little box. It was decorated on all sides with my watercolor paintings and I hoped they would remember me. They called a week later and that box became the basis for “Easy to Make Floral Gift Boxes” by Dover Books. Papercrafting continues to be a passion of mine and has evolved into more elaborate box making, pop-up cards and unique handmade art journals.
I live in a rural town in the hills of northwest Connecticut on a mini-homestead that I’ve built. I garden, growing flowers of all sorts, herbs, vegetables and a few small fruits with the help of a hard working flock of Bantam chickens and honey bees. Among the chickens are Lothario, Love Bug, Tahini and Nippy, but there are too many bees for naming. My paintings and designs are inspired by the plants and animals that live and visit Dandelion Cottage. They include bear, bobcats, opossums, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, rabbits, woodchucks, owls, turkeys, and a hawk I caught with my bare hands–but that’s another story. I write a monthly gardening column, “Through The Garden Gate” drawing upon my life, nature and gardening experience at Dandelion Cottage.
As a professional illustrator my work has appeared in books, magazines and internationally on postage stamps. I’ve designed textiles, greeting cards, and Battersea boxes. Some of my clients include Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Fine Gardening Magazine, Caspari and Tiffany & Co. My paintings have been exhibited in New York City, New England and Japan. I studied at the Art Students League of New York with Frank Mason, Gustav Rehberger and Robert Beverly Hale. I offer workshops on watercolor painting and papercrafting.