Artist’s Statement

Leslie M. Cross


The act of making art is many things to me. Of course it is creative, but these acts of creativity are also meditative, spiritual, analytical, and empowering. Whether I’m working with watercolor or pastel, each painting is a personal artistic journey.

I find my inspiration in the outdoors. As I move through the natural world, I look for textures, colors, contrasts, and vistas that I might interpret with pigment. Through sketching, photography, or plein air painting, I capture images and take them into my studio, where I refine and complete my paintings.

Working on a painting is always an exercise in joyous spontaneity and in practiced problem solving. As the pigment meets the paper and I make my marks, there are surprises and, sometimes, happy accidents associated with each piece. Each painting is as unique as the natural inspiration from which it came.