Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Leslie Yolen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Leslie, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
As a kid, I loved to draw and use any kind of art materials available. In the fourth grade we were asked if we wanted to play a musical instrument. I chose the flute! In the middle of high school I was frustrated by not being allowed (due to “not enough room in the schedule”) to take both music and art classes so, long story short, I eventually lucked into a private school scholarship. There I was given a full scholarship in my senior year to teach the 6th grade Art classes, under the supervision of the hired art teacher, of course. That was the beginning of my career in Art Education! I went on to study music & art at Bennington College, where I majored in Ceramics. After graduating I became a production potter for 15 years teaching out of my studio and the local art center. This led to substitute teaching in the public schools which led me to grad school to become a certified Art Educator. Teaching forced me to learn skills in many media which allowed me to bring other media into my practice. Now I go back and forth between painting and sculpture and sometimes combine the two.
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 full time studio artist exhibiting sculptural paintings, encaustic, oil & cold wax, and assemblage in galleries through out the northeast. I enjoy working on commissions when my schedule allows. I live and work in the Helderberg Mountains of Upstate New York. I have worked predominantly in clay until recently adopting painting and sculpture as my prominent mediums.
I enjoyed a lengthy career in arts education and retired from a position as the Arts Education Associate at the New York State Education Department. Prior to working with NYSED, I taught Visual Art in public schools for over twenty years. During my career I organized several artist residencies and operated a successful art studio business while directing a cooperative fine arts & craft gallery.
My ongoing exploration of nature, mysticism, science and spirituality informs the core of my art practice. I work with various organic materials and mixed media to create expressive sculptural works that speak to the cycles of life, memory, and the passage of time. The physicality of my chosen materials often guides my creative process and the resulting sculptures embody my exploratory experiences as an artist. I often work with wax for its ethereal and translucent qualities, incorporating the depth of wax as an element of mystery that evokes serenity and dreamlike states of repose. My work is about our spiritual connection to the natural world and a deep reflection on life’s impermanence.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I am interested in creating works that are evocative rather than descriptive. My interest is in exploring the expressive potential of various media and the physicality of materials. With my artworks I hope to bring to mind associations for the viewers that deepen their awareness of our connections to the invisible spiritual world as well as the natural world and its precarious position.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
‘Art and Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking’ by David Bayles and Ted Orland has been very instrumental in many artists lives. I highly recommend reading it every 5 years! Also ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron is a powerful program designed to help readers recover their creativity and overcome creative blocks.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leslieyolen.com
- Instagram: @leslie_yolen
Image Credits
Leslie Yolen