Leslie Balleweg 소녀의 환상적인 꿈

Leslie Balleweg

From as far back as my earliest childhood memories, I have wanted to be an artist. My favorite subject in school was art. one of my favorite things to do at home was draw and paint (in watercolor) little girls in flowing dresses and windblown hair. I was inspired by the artwork of Joan Walsh Anglund. I also loved to draw the “Peanuts” characters (my favorite cartoon). It was just after 6th grade that I was allowed to sit in on a summer school art class my 6th grade teacher was teaching. It was during that class that he taught me to “see”, to really study and to render realistically, the object I was drawing. My ability to draw dramatically improved from that point on.

I continued to take art classes in school whenever I needed an elective course. I also continued to draw at home for fun. I did not, however, major in art in high school or college. When I was 21 I met a friend who had his own greeting card company. He sold the cards containing his photographs through gift stores. I immediately knew I wanted to do the same, but with my own artwork. I came up with 16 whimsical drawings of children, had them printed, and launched myself into the greeting card business. I later expanded into a gift line using other artwork of mine. I did this for about 5 years and then realized that without a large infusion of capital the business would never go as far as I had hoped.I began painting for my own pleasure again in 1988, but this time I painted realistically- underwater scenes from photographs I’d taken while scuba diving, dancers,  and still lifes. When my husband and I moved to Park City, Utah  I had the opportunity to take a workshop from Artist Alex Powers. This was the first time I had had instruction from more than a school teacher. The week-long workshop was a huge turning point for me. Alex’s design theory of dominance was a revelation. Through his workshop, I realized that what thrilled me most was how light hit an object, creating bright highlights and deep shadows. From then on I lit my subjects with a single source of light. Although my work incorporated color, value became the dominant feature.

Leslie Balleweg