Artist Spotlight - Leslie Mark

 

Don't you just love Leslie's color combinations!

Tell us a bit about yourself: Did you go to school for art? Are you self taught?
I have always loved to draw, paint, write, sew, and decorate. While others stood out for their athletics, musical talent or clever wit, I always felt most secure using my creative gifts. Studying business Administration at the University of Maine was a very practical choice motivated by limited resources and a misunderstanding of the career options in the arts. Although I don’t regret my path, I acknowledge that I am a late bloomer. These days I spend a good portion of my time scouring the internet for new sources of information about art, design, trends, tools, licensing and the industries that rely on art to sell products.

What inspires you / where do you get inspiration from? 
Growing up on a small Island off the coast of Maine where time stood nearly still and craftsmanship was highly valued, I have carried with me a love for nostalgia, simple lines and traditional forms. I find a tremendous amount of inspiration in the buds and blooms of the spring that follows the harsh Maine winter.

Do you work in just one medium? Several? 
Right now I concentrate almost exclusively on drawing. It is so simple and portable. I am most productive when I carry my sketch book and iphone with me so I can document everything that catches my eye. I use Adobe Illustrator to refine, colorize and layout finished patterns.

What are you working on now?
Right now I am working on a paisley print. I have always shied away from paisley for fear that it had all been done before. I challenged myself to put a new spin on the traditional pattern. I allowed myself to create some really ugly sketches and eventually, it started to feel more comfortable-even fun. 

In the bigger picture, I am working on designs which I hope will grab the attention of art buyers in the home fashions industry. I have worked with home decorating fabric in making window treatments, bedding, pillows etc. and I’m eager to break into this category. Currently, I have licensing contracts in the tabletop, rugs, cases for mobile devices and quilting fabric. My fabric collection, Unity, was manufactured and distributed to independent quilt shops through Clothworks Textiles (http://www.clothworks.com/index.php/fabric-collection/unity.html). The others are still in the product development stage, so I’ll keep you posted on those.

Anything else you want to tell everyone?
I try to acknowledge my gratitude every single day. I surround myself with a great group of people who also live in gratitude. At the top of my “thankful for “ list is my amazingly supportive husband of 23 years, 2 teenage boys who are kind and fun-even with each other,  a loving extended family and a core group of girlfriends that keep me laughing and on track.

Are you an early riser? or night owl?
I am a night owl. I could work all night but I resist the urge knowing I will suffer the next day in the real world.

What is your favorite food?
That’s a tough one. Probably anything made by someone else. I am so over cooking. I do make a mean, green protein smoothy.

 You can find Leslie:
http://www.lesliemark.com
leslie@lesliemark.com
603-765-3554
https://www.facebook.com/LeslieMarkDesigns
https://twitter.com/artlesliemark
http://www.pinterest.com/lesliemark/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslietatemark
http://instagram.com/leslietmark

Do you want to be spotlighted? Send me an email: anntroe@cox.net

THANKS for stopping by! - make my day and follow this blog :-D

Artist Spotlight - Kimberly McSparran

Read about the big names Kimberly has designed for!

 

Tell us a bit about yourself: Did you go to school for art? Are you self taught?
Long before I entered kindergarten, I began drawing and knitting. In first grade, I won the Easter Egg Hunt Poster contest. In second grade, I made myself a bikini. I continued to draw, paint and sew throughout high school. As a young model, I “recreated” everything I saw in the New York showrooms. I decided to become a Fashion Designer and began studying fashion design at the University of Vermont. After my first semester, I decided to switch into fine arts. Between my metal-smithing and oral interpretation teachers, for whom I made illustrations, I was encouraged to attend a higher caliber art school and transferred in the middle of my sophomore year to Syracuse to study illustration. I spent my junior year at St. Martins College of Art in London where I first met Robert Welch, the famous metal-smith. Little did I know, three years later I would be at the New York Hilton introducing three flatware patterns I designed for Yamazaki along with Robert Welch and four other international designers. My career in the Tabletop Industry had begun.

What inspires you / where do you get inspiration from?
I am inspired by everything that surrounds me. I grew up in the hills a of Pennsylvania. I was constantly found in streams and ponds looking for polliwogs, turtles and frogs. I loved long walks through the fields with my dog Muffin, who I watched as she pranced through the tall grass. After school, I would visit horses on my way home, even before I began to ride. I was fascinated by nature.
In London I learned of Sir Edward Burne Jones and did my thesis on him. He and William Morris were best friends at Oxford, so I studied about him as well. These Pre-Raphaelite artists strongly influenced my art. A trip to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, blew me away and I began to draw everything I could see. That summer, I traveled to every museum I could get to throughout Europe.

Do you work in just one medium? Several?
I have worked in watercolors for decades since my work was primarily for delicate designs for dinnerware,  stationery, fabrics and wall coverings. When I began getting commissions for Pet Portraits I began working in oils and love it. I use Liquin and water soluble oil paints so I can use glazing techniques just like in watercolors and I can work quickly.

What are you working on now?
My current licenses are Lunt Silver for Reed and Barton, designdesign, and Jason Products. I have licensed my designs to over 30 manufacturers internationally for the past 3 decades. Several manufacturers are still in production with my designs since the 90's.

Anything else you want to tell everyone?
I am obsessed with my art and want to paint and draw all the time. I don't think I could ever really retire because, I can't stop myself from wanting to create things. Painting to me is like dancing, I love the flowing lines, I adore color and new color combinations...I never know what's going to happen next. The painting just evolves.

Are you an early riser? or night owl?
I start working at 7:30 or 8 each morning and work till 7 or 8 at night. Then have my dinner and walk my dogs. I don't pull all niter's or work past 11 pm. I'll get up early if I have to finish something up.

What is your favorite food?
My favorite foods are salads with arugula, basil, tomatoes from my garden with fresh mozzarella, fresh grilled tuna fish and shellfish. Another reason to live in the Hamptons!

Website: mcsparrandesign.com
For licensing inquiries please contact; Jen Kramer Jenerosity Marketing

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If you are interested in being spotlighted - email me: anntroe@cox.net

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