Paintings by Jimmy Leslie
Jimmy Leslie has spent his professional career as both and artist and an educator. He is a graduate of Monmouth University and the Graduate School of Figurative Art of the New York Academy of Art. Leslie taught in the Art & Design departments of Monmouth University and Brookdale Community College and also worked with gifted students in the Monmouth County Arts High School program.
Leslie’s work has been exhibited throughout New Jersey, as well as in New York, Oregon, Texas, Nebraska, Idaho, Florida, Missouri and North Carolina. Recent shows include one-person exhibitions at Market in the Middle, Asbury Park, NJ, the 2008 Monmouth Festival of the Arts, Tinton Falls, NJ and numerous group shows at the APeX Gallery in Asbury Park, NJ.
When asked about his work and his particular approach to painting, Jimmy Leslie explained, “As an artist I am not trying to alter anyone’s view of the world with my paintings, nor do I feel the need to address social issues. I simply want to create good, solid paintings, which seems like enough of a lifelong challenge. In doing this my subject matter tends to revolve around familiar surroundings like my neighborhood and my studio and my family life. These are the springboards for dealing with the process of painting which is equally important to me. “
“Sometimes artists worry too much about what they have to say. For me, I’m more interested in the labor. Finding the message is up to the individual viewer. It might be found in a certain shape, a harmony of color, or a particular light source. I don’t know how to paint apples, trees, or people’s noses. What I do know is that if I paint the correct values, shapes, and colors and place them in the right position, the objects will create themselves.”