Lesley Friedmann's journey through life has been a colorful and creative one, shaped by an unwavering passion for art that has been with her since her early years in her hometown just outside Cape Town, South Africa. From the very beginning, art played a significant role in Lesley's life.
In her childhood, Lesley's determination to express herself through art was evident as she convinced her parents to enroll her in the annual fall flower arrangement competition. It was in this competition that she first experimented with different colored and shaped flowers, using them to create intricate two-dimensional images in flat boxes of soil. This early fascination with transforming the beauty she saw in the world around her into art set the stage for a lifelong artistic journey.
During her elementary school years, Lesley discovered that art was the perfect medium for her to accentuate the world's inherent beauty. Her desire to translate her imagination into visual representations became a constant in her life, and she embarked on a self-taught artistic journey marked by exploration, experimentation, and self-examination.
While Lesley was admitted to the Bezalel Art School's fine arts degree program in Jerusalem, Israel, the financial realities of pursuing a career in art at that time led her to take a different path. Instead, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Art and Music Education from the University of Victoria, Canada, followed by a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the same institution.
The road to becoming a full-time artist was not without its challenges. Lesley's time in the Israeli Armed Forces and her subsequent move to Victoria, Canada in her mid-twenties limited her opportunities to create art. However, the arrival of her children reignited her passion for art, leading her to explore various mediums, from pencil drawing to clay, pastels, acrylics, and even gardening. Pottery became a particular focus, and she worked as a production potter in her home studio for several years.
While Lesley enjoyed the tactile and earthy qualities of pottery, her love for vibrant colors ultimately drew her towards two-dimensional art forms. After attending a silk painting workshop, she fell in love with the unpredictable luminosity of stains on silk, diverting her attention from pottery. Yet, the lack of surface texture in silk painting left her wanting more, prompting her to delve into the world of oil and acrylic painting.
Lesley's acrylic and oil paintings are a harmonious culmination of her artistic journey. Using various techniques, she creates rich, vibrant colors, textured surfaces, and an embossed relief effect with stencils in her artwork. Her personal style shines brightest in her acrylic works, where she blends realistic organic subjects with abstract and interpretive compositions.
Beyond her personal artistry, Lesley has been dedicated to guiding others on their own creative journeys. She served as an Artist in Residence at a local public school, collaborating with students on projects inspired by renowned Canadian artist Ted Harrison. Her passion for teaching also extended to pottery and clay art, where she taught both children and adults in schools, community centers, and private homes. In recent years, Lesley's "Painting from the Soul" workshops have been in high demand, showcasing the profound impact that the creative process can have on emotional and spiritual well-being.
For Lesley Friedmann, art is not just a skill; it's a way of life. Her artistic journey, filled with exploration, experimentation, and a commitment to nurturing the creative spirit in others, is a testament to the power of art to transform lives and connect us to the beauty that surrounds us. With each brushstroke, she continues to dance to the rhythm of music, letting her imagination flow freely onto the canvas and into the hearts of those who view her work.
In her childhood, Lesley's determination to express herself through art was evident as she convinced her parents to enroll her in the annual fall flower arrangement competition. It was in this competition that she first experimented with different colored and shaped flowers, using them to create intricate two-dimensional images in flat boxes of soil. This early fascination with transforming the beauty she saw in the world around her into art set the stage for a lifelong artistic journey.
During her elementary school years, Lesley discovered that art was the perfect medium for her to accentuate the world's inherent beauty. Her desire to translate her imagination into visual representations became a constant in her life, and she embarked on a self-taught artistic journey marked by exploration, experimentation, and self-examination.
While Lesley was admitted to the Bezalel Art School's fine arts degree program in Jerusalem, Israel, the financial realities of pursuing a career in art at that time led her to take a different path. Instead, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Art and Music Education from the University of Victoria, Canada, followed by a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the same institution.
The road to becoming a full-time artist was not without its challenges. Lesley's time in the Israeli Armed Forces and her subsequent move to Victoria, Canada in her mid-twenties limited her opportunities to create art. However, the arrival of her children reignited her passion for art, leading her to explore various mediums, from pencil drawing to clay, pastels, acrylics, and even gardening. Pottery became a particular focus, and she worked as a production potter in her home studio for several years.
While Lesley enjoyed the tactile and earthy qualities of pottery, her love for vibrant colors ultimately drew her towards two-dimensional art forms. After attending a silk painting workshop, she fell in love with the unpredictable luminosity of stains on silk, diverting her attention from pottery. Yet, the lack of surface texture in silk painting left her wanting more, prompting her to delve into the world of oil and acrylic painting.
Lesley's acrylic and oil paintings are a harmonious culmination of her artistic journey. Using various techniques, she creates rich, vibrant colors, textured surfaces, and an embossed relief effect with stencils in her artwork. Her personal style shines brightest in her acrylic works, where she blends realistic organic subjects with abstract and interpretive compositions.
Beyond her personal artistry, Lesley has been dedicated to guiding others on their own creative journeys. She served as an Artist in Residence at a local public school, collaborating with students on projects inspired by renowned Canadian artist Ted Harrison. Her passion for teaching also extended to pottery and clay art, where she taught both children and adults in schools, community centers, and private homes. In recent years, Lesley's "Painting from the Soul" workshops have been in high demand, showcasing the profound impact that the creative process can have on emotional and spiritual well-being.
For Lesley Friedmann, art is not just a skill; it's a way of life. Her artistic journey, filled with exploration, experimentation, and a commitment to nurturing the creative spirit in others, is a testament to the power of art to transform lives and connect us to the beauty that surrounds us. With each brushstroke, she continues to dance to the rhythm of music, letting her imagination flow freely onto the canvas and into the hearts of those who view her work.