About the Artist
Leslie Peebles was born in Hackensack, New Jersey in 1959, lived in the suburbs of New York City until 1971 when she and her family moved to Suwannee County, Florida where her father became a Broiler Chicken Producer for Gold Kist. Living on the 80 acre farm near the Suwannee River fostered a deep love, respect and fascination for nature.
Leslie attended The University of the South in Sewanee Tennessee and received her B.A. in Studio Art from Newcomb College in New Orleans in 1981. Leslie moved to Gainesville in 1985 and received an M.A. in Art Education from U.F. in 1994. She taught Art for 17 years in Florida.
Leslie has won numerous awards including First place from Coconut Grove, Tallahassee, Mount Dora, and the Morse Museum Award from Winter Park and Best of Show at Three Rivers in Pittsburg, Monte Sano Art Festival, and Atalaya in South Carolina.. She is currently represented by Gallery Rinard in New Orleans, Rivers Edge Gallery in Apalachicola, and High Tides Gallery in St. Augustine.
Artist’s Statement
Inspiration comes by way of experience, dream, memory or idea. The works push beyond the boundary of surface description to a deeper, numinous or magical realism. They are rooted in reality but occupy a space that is more real, more colorful; more alive.
I try to capture those moments that lift the veil of our limited perception of what is real, to a fuller, soulful and spiritual understanding of The beauty of creation. My goal is to honor the world for its true self.
I experience the landscape and all the life forms it nourishes and translate those experiences into drawings. The drawings are transferred to blocks on linoleum or wood. the slow, meditative process of carving distills and clarifies the images. I print their surfaces onto hand-made paper using a Charles Brand Etching Press. Color is added with reduction or multi-block printing, or hand-colored with watercolor or encaustic paint.
Process
Inspiration comes by way of experience, dream, memory or idea. The works push beyond the boundary of surface description to a deeper, numinous or magical realism. They are rooted in reality but occupy a space that is more real, more colorful; more alive.
I try to capture those moments that lift the veil of our limited perception of what is real, to a fuller, soulful and spiritual understanding of The beauty of creation. My goal is to honor the world for its true self.
I experience the landscape and all the life forms it nourishes and translate those experiences into drawings. The drawings are transferred to blocks on linoleum or wood. the slow, meditative process of carving distills and clarifies the images. I print their surfaces onto hand-made paper using a Charles Brand Etching Press. Color is added with reduction or multi-block printing, or hand-colored with watercolor or encaustic paint.
Awards
2025
Award of Merit, Chain of Parks Art Festival, Tallahassee
Award of Excellence, Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
2024
Bronze Award, Coconut Grove Art Festival
2023
Award of Merit, Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
Silver Award, Coconut Grove Art Festival
Best in Show, Monte Sano Art Festival
2022
Third Place , Coconut Grove Art Festival
Award of Distinction, Greater Gulf Coast Art Festival
Award of Distinction, Downtown Festival and Art Show, Poster artist
2021
Award of Merit, Artsplosure, Raleigh, N.C.
Award of Excellence (Best in Printmaking), Northern Va. Festival of the Arts
Best of Show, Monte Sano Art Festival, Huntsville, Al
Award of Distinction, Downtown Festival, Gainesville, FL
Directors Award, Craftart St. Petersburg, Fl
2020
Award of Merit, Gasparilla Art Festival, Tampa Fl
2019
Award of Merit, Fairhope Alabama
Poster Artist Dunedin Art Harvest, Dunedin Fl
2018
Poster Artist, Images Festival of the Arts, New Smyrna
Award of Excellence, Art Harvest , Dunedin Fl
First Place, Atalaya Art Festival, Murrels Inlet, S.C.
Award of Merit, Fine Arts Festival Ocala Fl
2017
Best in Show, Atalaya Art Festival, Murrels Inlet, South Carolina
Award of Merit, Fine Arts Festival Ocala, Fl
Award of Distinction, Downtown Festival, Gainesville, Fl
2016
Award of Distinction, Downtown Festival, Gainesville, FL
Award of Distinction, Images, New Smyrna Beach, Fl
2nd place, Graphics and Drawing, Beaux Arts, Miami, Fl
2015
Award of Merit, Downtown Festival, Gainesville, Fl
Award of Distinction, Kentuk Art Festival, Northport, Alabama
Award of Excellence,Santa Fe Spring Arts Festival, Gainesville, Fl
Award of Merit, Three Rivers Art Festival, Pittsburg, Pa
2014
Best in Show, Three Rivers Art Festival, Pittsburg Pa
First Place, Under the Oaks Art Show, Whalehead Park, N.C.
2013
Award of Excellence, Downtown Festival, Gainesville, Fl
Judges Award, LeMoyne Chain of Parks, Tallahassee Fl
3rd place in printmaking, Coconut Grove Art Festival, Miami, Fl
2012
Award of Merit, Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Miami, Florida
Best in Mixed Media, Mount Dora Art Festival, Mount Dora, Fl
1st place Drawing and Graphics, Artfest Stuart Fl
Award of Merit, Santa Fe Spring Arts Festival, Gainesville, Fl
2011
1st place Printmaking, LeMoyne Chain of Parks, Tallahassee, Fl
Morse Museum Award, Winter Park Autumn Art Festival
1st place Printmaking, Coconut Grove Art Festival, Miami, Fl
Contact the Artist
For inquiries regarding artwork, exhibitions, commissions, or any other questions, please use the contact form below. I look forward to hearing from you.