We recently connected with Leslie Kell and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Leslie, thanks for joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

I’ve been fortunate to have support along the way as I’ve traveled the artist’s road. One of my earliest experiences selling my work happened at an art festival—and I was completely unprepared. A friend helped set me up with a borrowed booth, and I arrived with my artwork and very little idea of what to expect.

A young man stepped into the booth and became completely entranced by a piece. He was genuinely excited and when he asked the price, we realized it more than what he had in his pocket. But he offered what he had and I accepted, I wanted him to have the artwork in his life.

That moment changed everything. Not because of the sale itself, it was the feeling I experienced when my work truly moved someone. That connection stayed with me, and I never looked back.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a lens-based artist and designer who has spent more than three decades developing a visual language that merges photography, drawing, and digital media. My creative roots are in painting and illustration, along with my early career in graphic design, these elements eventually evolved into a studio practice focused on fine art.

Since 2008, I’ve developed a distinctive technique that weaves my own photographs and design elements into richly constructed digital compositions. My work often challenges traditional expectations of both photography and digital media. I create images that ask viewers to slow down and look deeper, connecting with memory, imagination, and personal experience. Much of my work is organized into collections, each centered around an original piece of poetry. These written works serve as conceptual anchors, deepening the emotional and thematic resonance of the visual imagery.

Available artwork can be explored on my website, and I offer prints in custom sizes across my collections. I maintain a full exhibition schedule, with several upcoming shows, including a solo exhibition in the Inspiration Gallery at Riverbend featuring my Artist Masters Collection. I invite people to stay connected by signing up for my newsletter, following my work on social media, or visiting my Canopy studio during First Saturdays.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it’s the wow moment—both in the studio and beyond it.

In the studio, it’s the instant when a composition finally snaps into place. The process isn’t always smooth; I’m often chasing a fleeting, indescribable image in my mind. When it finally coalesces, there’s a physical thrill to that moment of resolution.

But art isn’t finished until it meets an audience. The most rewarding moments come when I see a viewer’s expression change—when I know they get it. Someone once told me you can hear my artwork. Another said my work challenges them to look deeper. Those responses mean everything to me. That’s when I know the work is doing its job.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Most recently, “The Creative Habit” by Twyla Tharp.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Tharp herself, and found it packed with practical, realistic insight. What resonated most was realizing how much of my existing practice already aligns with the habits and structures she describes. It was both affirming and motivating. I plan to listen again and add the hardcover to my studio bookshelf.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lesliekell.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesliekell/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslie.kell/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/KellCreative