The spark of an idea is like a nagging itch, and it just gets worse and worse until I need to put it on canvas. "
- Leslie Folksman
Leslie A. Folksman, a self-taught artist who in 2022 was 67 years old, inspires art enthusiasts from all walks of life with quirky, enigmatic, and inspirational art expressions in his own special style. His main objective is to use his art to amuse and inspire people.
Leslie's oil paintings frequently have a sense of depth that suggests something miraculous is about to occur or has been captured mid-motion as it is coming to life. With scenes and characters that are either caught in a moment of thrilling birth or caught slipping out of shadows, his art exudes a feeling of magic and wonder. Many of Leslie's characters are seen in ordinary scenarios that we all recognize, often appearing to be in mid-flight or having fun.
"Soft and dreamlike works" have been used to describe Leslie's aesthetic. His paintings expertly entice the observer into each scene utilizing a technique that uses 3D effects of light, shadow, and amazing compositions to give a sense of atmosphere and depth.
At Montgomery College in Maryland, Leslie, then in his twenties and still a novice painter, enlisted the help of a glazing specialist and enrolled in her class. However, Leslie would enter into her class and would then would check out early, learning about other expressive art forms while sneaking into other classes at the school, such as drawing naked models, which he found to be quite exciting as a young adult.
After being influenced by numerous historical artists, including Vincent Van Gogh, Leslie eventually discovered a voice for his work. The latter immortalized the sunflower through his painting and portrayed joy, life, and death using the sunflower's contrasting colors. Leslie answers, "The Surrealists," when asked about the genre of art that most excites him. While inspired by the paintings of late artists such as Salvador Dali, Leslie credits being inspired by numerous contemporary artists, including the collections curator, David Heatwole and other artists who have mastered the academics of art and craft.
Leslie admits to being somewhat of a loner, when it comes to being an artist, who favors creating art that is self-reflective over team projects. While he has collaborated with some reliable people, he often views others as simply copycats out to steal styles. Leslie is adamant that entertainment should include the arts since it is vital to society. He supports work that inspires and astounds viewers rather than deflating and depressing them.
Most of the work in the collection are paintings of life in mid-act of creation or destruction including objects seemingly spiraling out of control
Leslie's oil paintings frequently have a sense of depth that suggests something miraculous is about to occur or has been captured mid-motion as it is coming to life. With scenes and characters that are either caught in a moment of thrilling birth or caught slipping out of shadows, his art exudes a feeling of magic and wonder. Many of Leslie's characters are seen in ordinary scenarios that we all recognize, often appearing to be in mid-flight or having fun.
"Soft and dreamlike works" have been used to describe Leslie's aesthetic. His paintings expertly entice the observer into each scene utilizing a technique that uses 3D effects of light, shadow, and amazing compositions to give a sense of atmosphere and depth.
At Montgomery College in Maryland, Leslie, then in his twenties and still a novice painter, enlisted the help of a glazing specialist and enrolled in her class. However, Leslie would enter into her class and would then would check out early, learning about other expressive art forms while sneaking into other classes at the school, such as drawing naked models, which he found to be quite exciting as a young adult.
After being influenced by numerous historical artists, including Vincent Van Gogh, Leslie eventually discovered a voice for his work. The latter immortalized the sunflower through his painting and portrayed joy, life, and death using the sunflower's contrasting colors. Leslie answers, "The Surrealists," when asked about the genre of art that most excites him. While inspired by the paintings of late artists such as Salvador Dali, Leslie credits being inspired by numerous contemporary artists, including the collections curator, David Heatwole and other artists who have mastered the academics of art and craft.
Leslie admits to being somewhat of a loner, when it comes to being an artist, who favors creating art that is self-reflective over team projects. While he has collaborated with some reliable people, he often views others as simply copycats out to steal styles. Leslie is adamant that entertainment should include the arts since it is vital to society. He supports work that inspires and astounds viewers rather than deflating and depressing them.
Most of the work in the collection are paintings of life in mid-act of creation or destruction including objects seemingly spiraling out of control