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That Which Satisfies Her Soul
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: May 2024
A passion for the surprises of life and the vibrant works of fellow artists animates Leslie Jeffery’s dynamic works.
Like anyone who’s fortunate enough to have a vibrant, productive life, it’s hard to fold all their successes into one huge time sandwich.
So when Leslie Jeffery joined the octogenarian team, she decided to celebrate by producing 80 paintings in her eightieth year. These weren’t thumbnails. These were ambitious, large works. The production equaled a substantial painting every 4.5 days.
How does one get inspiration for such a large body of work? Leslie’s Muse provided two sources: the work of Joan Mitchell and a prompt from a gallery show in Florida, The Great Artist’s Steal. The steal prompt: create works that are inspired by other artists; e.g., a cat preening in the center of a swirling Starry Night, a la Vincent van Gogh.
When Leslie’s not painting, she’s gardening or working on the computer. The flowers she grows are often her subjects. Sometimes the plants/flowers are realistic, sometimes abstract expressionism, sometimes just abstraction. Her canvases await as the inspiration unfolds.
Leslie says, “Painting satisfies my soul. My grandmother started painting in her 40s. Nothing gratified her more. She took me out when I was young and got me interested in the arts. She taught at the Art Institute, so the genes and the model she provided instilled my love for color, design, and aesthetics.”
Leslie Jeffery
If you want to see Leslie’s work before she returns to the Plateau the third week of May, visit Highlands Performing Arts Center, where some of her large works are currently exhibited. 4118 Restaurant is displaying 15 pieces.
To see more, Leslie will be in The Bascom Members Show and the Art League’s Summer and Fall Showings. In the summer, some of those 80 works created last year will be on display in Leslie’s studio and other show spaces.
Visit LeslieJeffery.art to stay abreast of upcoming exhibits and see her recent work.
For the fun of it, let Leslie inspire you. Paint as many works as your age is. Then mix in a painting or two in the style of the great artist steal.
And, when focusing on age, Leslie reminds you of baseball player, Satchel Paige’s quotes: “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?” And, “Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, age won’t matter.”
