Leslie Pearson - Multimedia Artist

2010-07-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

'Bird by Bird' at ACME Art Studios

2010-04-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

By Dave Delcambre | Published: April 3, 2010

Catching up with last month’s Third Friday in Wilmington before I get to this month’s First Friday in Raleigh…Below are a few notes and images from current exhibition at ACME:Karen Paden Crouch is able to coax her wrought metal medium to provide not just emotional life to her three-dimensional work but also compelling tactile and visual surface interest. Her work is lively and gives the impression that she greatly enjoys the basic act of working with her materials and simply putting things together. The freshness, simplicity and straightforwardness of her approach seems well equipped to deal with this particular subject matter as she has a keen interest in the “structure and movement of living things.”

MJ Cunningham’s collages and drawings are multimedia pieces utilizing encaustic, printmaking, and collage. In sticking with a black and white palette, Cunningham utilizes silhouettes and profiles as a vehicle to capture elusive, fleeting qualities of all things ornithological. I also found her markmaking and compositional sense regarding the surface and boundaries of her pictures equally satisfying.

Sandra Ilhy’s Bird in a Gilded Cage is a Surrealist take on the show’s theme. It is part dollhouse, part antique birdcage. Michelle Connolly’s Dream Time-Boy Kissing Bird is one of the most metaphorical images in the bunch. Inspired by an actual scene from an image she saw of a boy with a bird, she as rendered it in a raw and expressive manner, going so far as to imply a unification of the two subjects.

Leslie Pearson’s Wings is one of the most captivating works in the gallery. About 7′ wide, it is made of rawhide leather utilizing a wetform process, and embellished with acrylic paint. It is an arresting work- enhanced by display on its own wall which gives it a commanding presence in the show. It is also as visually stunning as it is technically proficient.

Bird by Bird is on view at ACME Art Studios, 711 N. 5th Avenue in Wilmington through April, 2010.
This entry was posted in Eastern NC and tagged ACME Art Studios, Bird by Bird, Karen Paden Crouch, Leslie Pearson, MJ Cunningham, Sandra Ilhy.

A Stitch in Time

2010-03-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

Leslie Pearson’s time-lapse videos document fiber art at work
By: Lauren Hodges - February 23, 2010

Unless one happens to live with an artist, it’s a rare opportunity to catch a glimpse at the creative process. Any artist showing off a finished work will inevitably encounter the following questions:

“How long did it take?”
“What did you use for this part?”
“What were you thinking when you made this?”

As they say, it’s not just the destination but also the journey.

“For me the process is almost more important than the finished piece,” Leslie Pearson, multimedia artist, says. “Because a single piece can easily take months, or even years, to complete. [It] becomes a meditative, ritual act or performance.”

Pearson, a graduate student at East Carolina University, studies textiles. With a home base in Wilmington, she is an avid experimenter, who loves to work with new materials, naturally incorporating a variety into her artwork.

“I am excited to see that boundaries are being crossed within all media,” she says. “Labels are almost a thing of the past. I find this to be especially true for artists working in fiber-based materials, because the the range of what is considered to be ‘fiber’ is so diverse.”

She keeps a busy studio in the downtown home she shares with her photographer husband. Once inside her creative space, she finds solace in the acts of hand-stitching and weaving.“The repetitious processes and handwork associated with fiber-based artwork is usually a very important aspect to the artist,” Pearson says.

So important, in fact, that she takes the time to document her woman-at-work moments. Using an automatic setting on her camera, she takes a picture of herself creating every 30 seconds, which she compiles and transforms into time-lapse videos.

“I find that the video showing the progress and the physicality of the artist-in-action is a key component to understanding the artwork: the time, the sacrifice, the dedication to completing something.”

But it’s not all painstaking discipline. Pearson enjoys every moment. “Let’s not forget the fun of using one’s own hands to make an idea into a tangible object,” she says.

Though she’s the only star so far of her homemade films, she is sure that plenty of Port-City fabric fanatics can relate to the process onscreen. When she isn’t making the commute to Greenville for school, Pearson has been busy curating an exhibit, featuring her fellow textile students from ECU. In fact, the travels she endures for an education were her main inspiration for the show.

“There are a lot of fiber-based artists in the Wilmington area, but there isn’t a program available locally,” she points out. “Perhaps this exhibition will even stir an interest in creating a textile program at UNCW.” When asked why the school would want to install textiles in their curriculum, Pearson couldn’t stop herself.

“The word ‘textiles’ itself is even being redefined in people’s minds. Once traditionally thought of as term for working in industry—wall paper design, fashion, fabric design—it’s now a broad umbrella for anyone working in fiber-based art.”

The broadness will soon be displayed on the walls of ACME Art Studios. The show, called “Materials and Methods,” is a group exhibition, featuring a mix of fiber-based artworks created by several professors and graduate students from East Carolina University’s School of Art and Design. An opening reception will be held on Friday, February 26th, from 6-9pm.

Leslie Pearson’s time-lapsed videos can be viewed on her Web site at www.lesliekpearson.com.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Featuring the fabric art and time-lapse videos of Leslie Pearson.
ACME Art Studio
711 N Fifth Street
February 26th • 6-9pm

East/West Contemporary Fibers and Textiles

2010-03-13T06:58:00.000-08:00

Postcard cover: "Prayer", by Leslie Pearson
15, ten foot hanging banners, screenprinting ink,
photocopied journal entries, wire, sewn fabric, 10 x 12 ft, 2009

Textile exhibit features various media exploring fiber art

2010-03-13T06:37:00.000-08:00

By Brian Tucker, Correspondent
StarNews, Wilmington, North Carolina

Tuesday, February 25, 2010

For the exhibit “Materials and Methods: A Multimedia Exploration in Textiles” at ACME Art Studios in Wilmington, local artist Leslie Pearson was so inspired by students in the textiles program at East Carolina University's School of Art and Design that she opened up the exhibit to them, as well as to the school's faculty.
The resulting exhibit, which opens with a reception Friday in conjunction with Fourth Friday Gallery Night, features new work that interprets the use of textiles and techniques and utilizes traditional and experimental approaches to making art. Featuring textile- and fiber-based artwork, the exhibit ranges from contemporary quilts and sculpture to video, book arts and digital weaving.

Pearson is a master of fine arts candidate in the textile program at ECU, and although a full-time student, she has a studio space at ACME Art. A self-described multimedia artist who loves to experiment and try new materials, Pearson enjoys the process of making things with her hands, creating something that didn't exist before.

“(It's) almost more significant to me than the final product,” Pearson said by e-mail from Canada, where she was attending the Olympics. Pearson also documents her output using time-lapse video.

Originally attending ECU with a concentration in painting, Pearson soon found that working in textiles made for greater variability in ideas.

“(I) found it freeing to break away from the rectangular, two-dimensional surface of a canvas,” she said.

Fiber-based work extends beyond traditional design and materials can be as diverse as silk, yarn, paper or hog intestines. There will be three small sculptural gut pieces on display in “Materials and Methods.”

“While every medium does have its own set of challenges, I feel the field of fiber arts is broad and seemingly limitless,” Pearson said, adding that contemporary fiber artists continually push boundaries of the art form, and by doing so, have redefined what textiles are. “There's a strong tie to traditional methods like fabric collages, quilting, lace making, felting and beading. They (also) utilize new technology to incorporate video and audio components (and) create digital weaving and digitally printed fabrics.”

Robin Haller, an assistant professor in the textiles department at ECU, describes the digital weaving process for crafting some weavings on display in “Materials and Methods,” weavings created using JacqCAD Master software.

“JacqCAD is a weaving program that works in direct correspondence to a grid and uses pixels as coordinates,” Haller said. “This software also allows the artist to translate a finished design into a format read by the TC-1 jacquard loom. This modern-day version of the ancient draw loom and 19th century punch-card loom controls each warp thread independently, allowing the weaver great flexibility on designing. The blueprint of the weaving is predetermined by the computer design, but the finished piece is still woven by hand.”

At ECU, students digitally design weave structures using software called WeaveMaker, where they share access to a 16-harness, computer-assisted loom with which to execute designs. By using digital technology, students are able to work with multifaceted weave structures.

Pearson said students are encouraged to explore artistic expression in the field of textiles. It was during the fall semester that she was inspired by the fiber-based work by students under the guidance of Christine Zoller.

“They were able to take textile ideas and techniques and incorporate them into their own work,” Pearson said.

Arts & Culture: 343-2343

"Toward Wholeness," by Leslie Pearson. Sewn fabric, screenprinting ink, hand embroidery. Courtesy of the artist

"Prayer" Time-Lapse Video

2009-08-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

Check out this newly finished time-lapse video of my installation called "Prayer" (keep in mind that the video takes time to load and it might be best to let it load and then replay it when it's cached so you get the full experience):

The video is so fast that the human eye can't catch it all. For example, a friendly game of twister:

Grant recipients' works shown

2009-07-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

By Melissa Clement
Fayetteville Observer, Fayetteville, NC
July 3, 2009

Each year the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County gives Regional Artist Project grants to artists living in 15 counties. Called Art Lives, the show is now on view at the Art Center. It showcases the work of the 11 visual artists who received grants.

Wilmington artist Leslie Pearson, formerly of Fayetteville, was selected for her encaustic (hot wax) paintings. She shows five in the exhibit. One contains prayers she wrote on silk and embedded in the wax. The most exciting piece is a large, nest-like sculpture titled "That Which is Empty, May Be Filled.''

While working on the piece, she set up a camera to take still pictures every 30 seconds. At the end of the project she combined the hundreds of images into one time-lapse video in order to document the project. It shows her working at an impossible and humorous speed.

She says she did the project in response to the issue of infertility. While working on the nest for about two months, she posted images of it on her blog and Facebook page, which prompted responses from people who have infertility or empty home issues.

"Some people were simply interested in the aesthetic appeal of the sculpture and liked its shape and texture'' she says. "In the end, all of the responses became part of the piece because I cut them up and embedded them near the surface of the inside. This gives it one more layer of depth.

"Viewers can read the text if they take the time to look closely."

She decided to paint the nest a bronze color using several layers of brown glazes. She added wax to the inside.

"That gives it a sense of vulnerability and heaviness, which alludes to the delicate subject matter," she said.

Pearson works at ACME Art Studios in Wilmington, and is a candidate for a Master's of Fine Art in the textile program at East Carolina University's School of Art and Design.

Other grant winners with their new works on view are Erica Stankwytch Bailey, James Biederman, Geoff Calibrese, Charles Duke, Jeffrey Davies, Lindsay Leach, Logan Mock-Bunting, Merle Prewitt and Mio Reynolds.

Staff writer Melissa Clement can be reached at clementm@fayobserver.com or 486-3528.

Leatherwork

2009-06-14T13:13:00.001-07:00

Select a gallery to view. Your selection will open in a new window.

Gallery 1
Sculptural Wall Pieces

Gallery 2
Wearable Masks

Gallery 3
Journal Covers

Gallery

2009-06-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

Select a body of work to view. Your selection will open in a new window.

Installations and Sculptures

Paintings, Collages, and Wall Pieces

Books

Grants and Awards

2009-06-13T08:12:00.001-07:00

2011 4th Annual Joyner Library Graduate Student Art and Design Exhibition - East Carolina University, Greenville, NC - Friends of Joyner Library Purchase Award ($1,000)
2011 Get Out, Go Somewhere, Mendenhall Gallery - Greenville, NC - Honorable Mention ($125)
2011 Art Ability 2011 - Malvern, PA - Curator's Award ($50)
2011 30th Annual CCA Juried Art Exhibition, Kinston, NC - 2nd Place ($250)
2011 All About Art at MossRehab Center, Elkins Park, PA - Best in Show ($250)

2010 3rd Annual Joyner Library Graduate Student Art and Design Exhibition - School of Art and Design Director's Award ($400)
2010 Pulp Culture, Innovative Works in Paper - Merit Award ($200) presented by jurors Amy Jacobs and Karen Stahlecker
2010 Women's Work - Image selected for promotional posters and postcards. Juror: Professor Andi Steel, UNCW
2010 Rebel 53 Arts and Literary Exhibition - Emerge Gallery, Greenville, NC - 1st Place Mixed Media
2010 GMA Artist Association Juried Art Exhibition, Greenville Museum of Art - Best in Show
2010 ADROIT, at East Carolina University - Innovation Award presented by Michael Gayk
2010 All About Art at MossRehab Center in Elkins Park, PA - Juror Award for Excellence
2009 Rebel 52 Arts and Literary Exhibition at Emerge Gallery in Greenville, NC - 1st Place in Textiles
2009 ArtFirst 2009, Third Place Award
2008-2009 Regional Artist Project Grant, Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County
2006-2007 Regional Artist Project Grant, Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County
2004 Army Commendation Medal, HHC 513th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Gordon, GA
2003 Keith L. Ware Journalism Award: “Rising Star” for Outstanding New Writer, Regional Winner
2001 International Students from North America Scholarship, Newcastle University
1998-1999 Art Faculty Scholarship, Southeast Missouri State University
1998-1999 Harry Huebel Memorial Scholarship, Southeast Missouri State University
1998 Endowed Scholarship, Southeast Missouri State University
1998 Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society Scholarship
1997-1998 Helen Bedford Memorial Scholarship, Southeast Missouri State University

Collections

2009-06-13T08:11:00.001-07:00

Joyner Library - East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah, GA
Women’s Health Center – Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Art Library - Brooklyn, NY
Jay Hood, Hood-Herring Architecture - Wilson, NC
Schuller, Ferris, Lindstrom and Associates, Architects – Fayetteville, NC
West Town Community Church – Evans, GA
DeMarco Studio - Wilmington, NC
Port City Community Church - Wilmington, NC
Revival Time Tabernacle Church - Poplar Bluff, MO
Grace Cafe – Cape Girardeau, MO
Clippard Elementary School – Cape Girardeau, MO
Numerous private collections

Exhibition History

2009-06-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2012

Incubation, a multimedia installation, Black Door Gallery - Cape Girardeau, MO (upcoming)

2011

Vignettes of a Family, a mixed media installation, Greenville Museum of Art - Greenville, NC

Incubation, a multimedia installation, Burroughs Gallery - Greenville, NC

2010

We Made a World of Our Own, multimedia installation, ACME Art Studios - Wilmington, NC

2008

Tell Me A Story, Boykin Center Hammond Gallery – Wilson, NC
The Shape of Things, Cafe Diem – Wilmington, NC
Sowing and Reaping, The Meeting Place – Charleston, SC
Wingspan, Gallery 208 – Fayetteville, NC
Resonance and Relevance, Cape Fear Artists Studios – Fayetteville, NC
Passing Strange and Wonderful, Campbell House Gallery – Southern Pines, NC
Abstractions: Lines and Textures, Throckmorton Library – Ft Bragg, Fayetteville, NC

2007

Inside Out, Cary Senior Center – Cary, NC

2006

SFL +A Architect’s Gallery – Fayetteville, NC

2005

Underneath it All, Olde Town Gallery – Fayetteville, NC
New Work, Market Square Gallery – Fayetteville, NC
Earth Bound, Bray’s Island Plantation Museum – Sheldon, SC
Newcastle Architecture, SFL +A Architect’s Gallery – Fayetteville, NC

2000

Red, Yellow, Blue, Associated Artists’ Gallery – Carbondale, IL
Red, Yellow, Blue, Shawnee Community College, Anna Extension Center – Anna, IL
Scad, Hannibal Arts Council – Hannibal, MO

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2012

Schwa 2012, National Juried Exhibition, Emerge Gallery - Greenville, NC
Handcrafted 2012, Maria V. Howard Arts Center - Rocky Mount, NC
Prime Time, New Media Juried Exhibition, CityMac - Asheville, NC

2011

1 x 1 = One, (Invitational), 2TEN HAUSTUDIO - Ivanhoe, NC
4th Annual Graduate Student Art Exhibition, ECU Joyner Library - Greenville, NC
Self, Observed, North Carolina Museum of Art - Raleigh, NC
Get Out, Go Somewhere, East Carolina University's Mendenhall Gallery - Greenville, NC
Art Ability, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, Malvern, PA
Pulp, unframed works on paper, Visual Art Exchange - Raleigh, NC
Feminine Perspective 2011, Black Door Gallery – Cape Girardeau, MO
State of the Art/Art of the State, Cameron Art Museum - Wilmington, NC
54th National Juried Art Exhibition, Maria V. Howard Arts Center - Rocky Mount, NC
Detour, 311 Galleries and Studios - Raleigh, NC
30th Annual CCA National Juried Exhibition, Kinston Community Council - Kinston, NC
Fantastic Fibers 2011, Yeiser Art Center - Paducah, KY
Handcrafted, Maria V. Howard Arts Center - Rocky Mount, NC
Small Works, Visual Art Exchange - Raleigh, NC
Tiny Art Show, Emerge Gallery - Greenville, NC
All About Art, International Juried Exhibition at MossRehab Hospital (5 pieces)- Elkins Park, PA

2010

Fine Contemporary Crafts (biennial juried exhibition) - Artspace, Raleigh, NC
Paperozzi, explorations in paper - joint exhibition at Bottega Gallery & Projekt Gallery - Wilmington, NC
3rd Annual Graduate Student Art Exhibition, Joyner Library - Greenville, NC
High Fiber Content, aMuse: artisanal finery - Wilmington, NC
Rebel 53, Emerge Gallery - Greenville, NC
Schwa 2010 (National Juried Exhibition), Emerge Gallery, Greenville, NC
Women's Work, University of North Carolina, Wilmington - Wilmington, NC
Pulp Culture, innovative works in paper,Mendenhall Gallery - Greenville, NC
The Sculptural Salmagundi, Art Center at the Imperial Centre - Rocky Mount, NC
Snapshot, Visual Art Exchange - Raleigh, NC
GMA Artist Association Juried Art Exhibition, Greenville Museum of Art - Greenville, NC
Abstraction and Beyond, Center for Faith and the Arts – Salisbury, NC
Feminine Perspective 2010, Black Door Gallery – Cape Girardeau, MO
Creative Divergents, online competition and exhibition - www.creativedivergents.com
20/20: Filters of Light and Insight, ACME Art Studios - Wilmington, NC
University of North Carolina Exhibition - Chapel Hill, NC
Bird by Bird, ACME Art Studios - Wilmington, NC
East/West: Contemporary Fibers & Textiles, the art studio & gallery - Cut Bank, MT
CREATE, The Art of Fine Craft, Cape Fear Studios - Fayetteville, NC
Materials and Methods, a multimedia exploration in textiles, ACME Art Studios - Wilmington, NC
Adroit, East Carolina University's Mendenhall Gallery - Greenville, NC
Material Topics Intercollegiate Exhibition, East Carolina University – Greenville, NC
All About Art, MossRehab, Elkins Park, PA
Art Ability, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, Malvern, PA

2009

Space, the art studio & gallery - Cut Bank, MT
Rebel 52, Emerge Gallery - Greenville, NC
School of Art and Design Showcase, ECU Mendenhall Gallery - Greenville, NC
2nd Annual Joyner Library Graduate Student Art Exhibition, ECU Joyner Library - Greenville, NC
Miniatures 2009: Portraits, the art studio & gallery - Cut Bank, MT
Schwa 2009, Emerge Gallery - Greenville, NC
Arrhythmia, ACME Art Studios - Wilmington, NC
GMA Artist Association Juried Art Exhibition, Greenville Museum of Art - Greenville, NC
Art Lives, featuring recipients of the NC RAP Grant, The Art Center - Fayetteville, NC
Natural Transformations, Caffe' Phoenix - Wilmington, NC
Diverse Perspectives, The Reserve at Mayfaire - Wilmington, NC
ArtFirst, The University Medical Center at Princeton, Princeton, NJ
Feminine Perspective 2009, Black Door Gallery – Cape Girardeau, MO

2008

William Penn Foundation – Philadelphia, PA
ACME Art Studios, Spring Exhibition – Wilmington, NC
Flesh: A Celebration of the Human Form, Bottega Gallery – Wilmington, NC
Women’s Vision, A Glimpse Through Her Eyes, Ft Bragg Officer’s Club – Fayetteville, NC
Arts Council of Greenwood County – Greenwood, SC
Bitter Fruit, Altered Esthetics Gallery – Minneapolis, MN
Feminine Perspective 2008, Black Door Gallery – Cape Girardeau, MO

2007

The Art of Sacrifice, Altered Esthetics Gallery – Minneapolis, MN
Divine Inspiration, Religion: Meaning and Morals in the Modern World,
Gallery RFD – Swainsboro, GA
City Lights Gallery – Bridgeport, CT
Gallery Favorites, Olde Town Gallery – Fayetteville, NC
Arts Council of Wayne County – Goldsboro, NC
Moments in Time, Davidson County Community College – Lexington, NC

2006

Am Fluss/By the River, Kulturhaus Pusdorf – Bremen, Germany
An Art Affair, The Fayetteville Academy, Alumni Center for Fine Arts – Fayetteville, NC
Small Works, New Arts Program – Kutztown, PA
Icarus, Savannah College of Art and Design’s Red Gallery – Savannah, GA
Imagining Ourselves, A Global Generation of Women, International Museum of Women
The Phases of Eve, A Contemporary Portrayal of the Female Ideal,
The Art Fix International, www.theartfixinternational.org
Through Women’s Eye’s, By Women’s Hands, The Women’s Center – Chapel Hill, NC
2006 Fine Art Calendar Competition (Best of Show), Cape Fear Studios – Fayetteville, NC

2005

Her Mark, Woman Made Gallery – Chicago, IL
Women, Words and Images, Mills Pond House Gallery – St. James, NY

TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS

2011

The Sketchbook Project, Sponsored by Art House Co-op.
Notable venues: Brooklyn Art Library, Brooklyn, NY; Austin Museum of Art, Austin, TX; SPACE Gallery, Portland, ME; The Granite Room, Atlanta, GA; Transformer Gallery, Washington, DC; Form/Space Atelier, Seattle, WA; 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA; Hyde Park Arts Center, Chicago, IL; Full Sail University, Winter Park, FL

2008-2009

Succour, Gifts of Support and Solace
Sponsored by SEEDS Fine Art Exhibits and The Grove Center for the Arts
Venues: St. John’s Lutheran Church, Orange, CA; Richard Meier's Visitor Center, Crystal Cathedral, Anaheim

2006-2007

Dawn to Dawn, Journeys Through Pain to Freedom
Sponsored by: SEEDS Fine Art Exhibits and The Grove Center for the Arts
Venues: St. John’s Lutheran Church; Orange International Street Fair; Whittier Playhouse; California Baptist University, Riverside; Coast Hills Community Church, Aliso Viejo; Concordia University, Irvine, CA; Midland Lutheran College, Fremont, NE

2006-2007

Muestra Internacional de Arte Venado Tuerto
Venues: Provincial Museum of Fine Art, Santa Fe, Argentina;
Municipal Museum of Fine Arts, Rosario, Argentina

Expressions of A Cancer Journey, Lilly Oncology on Canvas, World Tour
Notable venues : Royal College of Art – Kensington Gore, London;
Metropolitan Pavilion – NY,NY

Education and Professional Experience

2009-06-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

EDUCATION
2009-present, MFA Textiles candidate, East Carolina University - Greenville, NC
2003 Certificate, Photojournalism and Public Affairs,
Defense Information School – Fort Meade, Maryland, (Honors Graduate)
2001 MA, Museum Studies, University of Newcastle – Newcastle, England, (Honors Graduate)
1998 Missouri/London Study Abroad Program, Imperial College – London, England
1998 BA, Fine Art, Southeast Missouri State University – Cape Girardeau, MO, (Cum Laude Graduate)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2010-2011 Instructor, Textile Survey Class, East Carolina University - Greenville, NC
2010 Summer Instructor, CFCC Kid’s College, Cape Fear Community College – Wilmington, NC
2009-2010 Teaching Assistant, Distance Education, Art 1001 (Color and Design), East Carolina University - Greenville, NC
2009 CENTRA Meeting for Teaching Online Faculty Interest Group - Co-Presenter, East Carolina University - Greenville, NC
2006/2008 Art Teacher, Fayetteville Christian School – Fayetteville, NC
2003-2004 Arts and Leisure Correspondent, The Augusta Chronicle – Augusta, GA
2002-2004 Photojournalist and Public Affairs Specialist, US Army – Fort Gordon, GA
2001 Gallery Internship, Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art – Sunderland, England
1997-2000 Assistant Director, Arts Council of Southeast Missouri – Cape Girardeau, MO
1996-1997 Art Teacher, Cape Christian School – Cape Girardeau, MO

WORKSHOPS, SYMPOSIA, and CONFERENCES
2011 Studio Assistant for Lorraine Glessner, Rust Printing, Composting and Branding: Adventures in Mark Making Workshop at East Carolina University - Greenville, NC.
2010 Guest Artist, Puppet Making Workshop and Collaborative Multimedia Project with WIRE (Wilmington youth center for Inspiration, Recreation, and Education), a Communities in Schools program. The workshop was held in conjunction with Wilmington’s first annual puppet festival. – Wilmington, NC.

2010 Visiting Artist, Leather Mask Making Demonstration, Cape Fear Country Club Kids Camp - Wilmington, NC
2010 Guest Artist/Workshop Leader, Leather Mask Making Workshop, East Carolina University Wood Guild - Greenville, NC
2010 Workshop Assistant for Christine Zoller, Flat Peyote/Beaded Jewelry Workshop, in conjunction with: Material Topics Symposium, Jewelry and Metalworking in the 21st Century, East Carolina University - Greenville, NC
2001 Precious Objects and Changing Values, Conference Attendee. Sheffield Hallam Univ., Sheffield, England
2000 International Center for Cultural and Heritage Studies, Conference Attendee.
Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
1999 Information and Conversations, Grant Writing Workshop, Attendee. Missouri Arts Council, St. Louis, MO

CURATIORIAL
2010 Co-Curator with gallery owner Daniel North, East/West: Contemporary Fibers & Textiles, the art studio - Cut Bank, MT
2010 Curator, Materials and Methods, a multimedia exploration in textiles, ACME Art Studios- Wilmington, NC

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC - Member
CIVA (Christians in the Visual Arts), Wenham, MA - Member
Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC - Member
East Carolina University Textile Guild, Greenville, NC - Member and Co-Treasurer
ACME Art Studios, Wilmington, NC

Biography

2009-06-13T07:53:00.001-07:00

Leslie Pearson is a multimedia artist based in North Carolina. A Missouri native, Pearson earned a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Southeast Missouri State University (1998) and was heavily involved in community arts programming as the Assistant Director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri and co-curator of Gallery 100 and the Lorimier Gallery in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In 2000 she earned a Master’s degree in Museum Studies at the University of Newcastle in England and completed an internship at the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art in Sunderland.

Upon returning to the States, Pearson joined the Army as a photojournalist and freelanced as an Arts and Entertainment journalist for the Augusta Chronicle, a daily newspaper in Augusta, Georgia. After relocating to Fayetteville, NC, she taught art at Fayetteville Christian School for two years. She recently earned an MFA in Textile design at East Carolina University’s School of Art and Design in Greenville, NC where she taught textile survey classes and worked as a studio assistant for the department.

In her work, Pearson explores various avenues of interest including multimedia processes, text, and non-objective imagery which she uses as a parallax for ideas, patterns, and emotions.

Contact

2009-06-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

If you have any questions or are interested in making a purchase, please contact me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I accept PayPal, Cash, Cashiers Checks, and Money Orders. Thank you.

Studio Address:

1072 Thistle Downs Street SE
Leland, North Carolina 28451

910-494-0690

leslie@lesliekpearson.com

The Masks of Nature

2009-06-12T18:40:00.000-07:00

Three female artists reveal the relationship between masquerade and Mother Earth

Encore Magazine, Wilmington, NC
May 27, 2009
by: Lauren Hodges

Diverse Perspectives
Artwork of Karen Crouch, Gail Sue and Leslie Pearson
The Reserve at Mayfaire Clubhouse
Reception: May 30, 5-8pm
(910) 256-4019

Animals have been using disguises to mask themselves from the outside world since the Big Bang (or the Big “Bling!” depending on your beliefs). Some creatures use them to hide from predators, while others use camouflage to hide from prey. Whatever the use, the main goal is survival and prosperity in the natural world.

Humans use masks literally and metaphorically to hide their true natures in order to survive in society. Only the bravest of creatures go through life without a cover of some kind. Artists—with their hearts painted onto canvases, manipulated into sculpture and even, in Leslie Pearson’s case, sewn into a mask—are never lacking in guts.

“I work at ACME Art Studios,” Pearson says, giving credit for her courage to her tight-knit group of creative support. “It has come to mean so much to me. “With 22 working artists there, it has become a little family and a place to bounce ideas off of each other.”

At ACME the only masks worn are the ones Pearson tries on her friends for fun. To her the artistic collaboration within the studio is nature at its finest without the need for camouflage. “We really do have diverse backgrounds and interests outside of what we do in the studio, but our common bond is the way we are all passionate about our artwork. We all love what we do and understand that it is our creative outlet.”

Juices flow so willingly within the studio that it seems, well, natural that the beauty of nature is the biggest inspiration. “I ground my work in the essence of living things: vines, leaves, birds, trees,” metal sculptor Karen Crouch say. “Fronds become vessels; birds sit at the helm of deconstructed boats; trees snag moons; peas and vines tangle up sails. Increasingly, I ground pieces with stones. There is an element of solidity and an element of decay, but both are parts of the natural cycle.”

Crouch finds similarities in many of her colleagues’ works. Gail Sue, for instance, an Australian-born painter, inspires Crouch with her bold color choices, including violet, magenta and aqua, used on an otherwise earthy pallette. Crouch sees her work next to Sue’s as a complement, with each artist highlighting a different strength.

“While Gail pushes the color, I push the structure,” she says. “We are working in three different mediums, but each of us draws from the world around us, both the natural world and the man-made structures that help us live in and navigate that world.”

Pearson, Crouch and Sue all recently decided to see how much their different strengths could support each other’s works by pulling together a collaborative show. “We called our show ‘Diverse Perspectives,’” Sue says, “simply because it was hard to come up with a theme that would do justice to our different approaches and styles: Karen’s sculpture in bronze, Leslie’s leather and mixed media art, and my contemporary paintings in bright color. So I guess the theme of our show is the diversity of approach with three different artists presenting their visions.”

Yet, the theme might be more obvious than they realize. Pearson’s masks mixed with Crouch’s and Sue’s outdoor elements make a magnificent atmosphere like that of a masquerade garden party. The metaphor for masks in nature is cheeky and perfect for a group of such sharp women. Another obvious similarity is their shared love of curves and curls in their work. As a leather mask sways into a point for a Mardi Gras-style finish, Crouch’s iron vine snakes upward in the same fashion as does Sue’s palm tree swaying in the breeze. All elements of cohesion point to the group’s final similarity: a tendency to stray from the straight and narrow.

“I always want people to take away a sense of peace and hope,” Crouch says of her work. “Sometimes my birds are like little souls sailing along, looking forward, being still and hopeful. For much of my life I made little room for peace and stillness. I hope my work creates a little slice of that now.”

Most of all Pearson hopes to inspire creativity in others. “Seeing an exhibition of artwork is the catalyst for inspiration,” she says. “I’m always amazed at how inspired and encouraged I am after I’ve been to see someone’s artwork because it’s an expression of how they see the world around them. I think the community will be inspired because of the way we use the variety of materials in our work. Plus, it will be a lot of fun to try on some leather masks.”

Gallery Walk

2009-06-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

Nightlife Magazine, Carbondale, IL
August 17-August 24, 2000
Photo by Don Haupt

Red, Yellow, Blue: Paintings by Leslie Stucker, will run August 22 through September 9 at Associated Artist's Gallery, with an opening reception Friday, August 25 at 6 p.m. Stucker is the assistant director of Gallery 100 and Lorimier Gallery in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Stucker's exhibit will "experiment wth the interaction between color, shape and typography." While she uses the words "red", "yellow", or "blue" in her mixed media paintings, the work "red", for example, may be painted with yellow paint -- a nice touch of Dada.

Acoustic bluesman Don Haupt Jr., also from Cape Girardeau, will supply some bottleneck guitar at the reception.

Associated Artist's is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Red, Yellow, Blue

2009-06-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

The Southern Illinoisan, Carbondale, IL

August 17, 2000

Red, Yellow, Blue on Display at SCC-Anna Extension Office

Red, Yellow, Blue, an art exhibit by Leslie Stucker, is on display at the Shawnee Community College Anna Extension Center in Oak Hall on the grounds of the Chaote Mental Health Center until the end of September. The exhibit features a series of works in spray paint, acrylic, watercolor, and charcoal.

Stucker is the assistant director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. She graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a BA in studio art. She has exhibited her work at SEMO, A Touch of Grace, and Barnes and Noble -- all in Cape Girardeau.

"We are taught to identify colors with their correlating 'word'." said Stucker about the exhibit. "I chose to work with the basic three primary colors -- red, blue, and yellow. We recognize these colors and words and associate them with certain feelings like rage, love, hate, water, purity, etc. So, I wondered what emotions, if any, would be evoked in seeing the word paired up with another color."

For more information about the exhibit, call the SCC Anna Extension Center at (618) 833-3399.

Art on Display

2009-06-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

Standard Democrat, Sikeston, MO
Tuesday, September 12, 2000
Photo by Tim Jaynes, Staff

Art on Display

Leslie Stucker, assistant director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, tells a classroom at the Sikeston Kindergarten Center how she painted a piece of artwork. The mixed media artwork is on loan to the school by their art teacher Elizabeth Thomas.

Art Group Celebrates ‘The Power of Color’

2009-06-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

The Fayetteville Observer, Fayetteville, NC
November 12, 2004

By Melissa Clement, Staff writer

George Gensic created ‘‘Out of the Blue,’’ a portrait of his daughter, Michelle, using heavy strokes with a palette knife, her face in half shadow. It won first place at the Fayetteville Art Guild show, ‘‘The Power of Color’’ on view at the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Arts Council.

A little over a year ago, the 54-year-old artist decided to pursue a second career as an artist.

While owning a sheet metal shop in Fort Wayne, Ind., he helped college art students work with their sculpture and painted as a hobby.

‘‘After 34 years of doing the same thing, I made the leap,’’ he said. He and his wife, Trisha, researched locations and chose North Carolina for its beauty and support of the arts. They settled in Durham after Trisha found a job. Now, George sees his family off to work in the morning, and he goes to work painting in his studio. He also takes art classes.

People’s choice
Shannon Fisher captured the People’s Choice Award for a photo transfer print taken from an old photograph at her grandparents’ 1953 wedding in Germany. It shows a young army master sergeant in uniform and his bride leaving the formal ceremony. Fisher used a soft cranberry color for the background and overprinted a square around the bride and groom in a lime green. Fisher is a recent graduate in art from Fayetteville State University and now teaches art in the Cumberland County Public Schools.

Leslie Pearson’s two oil paintings gave me a sense of place. ‘‘LaLa Lodge, Jenny’s Day’’ is a depiction of a lake lined with trees just as the sun is setting and producing a vivid blue sky and reflection on the lake. Her landscape ‘‘Live Oak at Bray’s Island, SC’’ catches the peacefulness of the island in midday. Pearson is a professional artist with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s degree in museum studies. While she was a photojournalist for the Army, she and her husband were stationed on different bases, and they met at unique settings that inspired her paintings.

Bob Schwiezke’s ‘‘German Brown Trout’’ -- in subtle pastel tones showing a fish on the hook -- is a quiet gem. I liked ‘‘Gloria Ulu’’ a stark self-portrait created in acrylic on sandpaper, a combination I’ve never seen before. It was quite effective and unusual.

Tokue Mason captured a perfect orchid in lavender and cerise watercolors against a dark background.

When an art show is steeped in paintings of landscapes, flowers and portraits, I seek out ones that tell a story. Such a work is Marilyn Peterson’s ‘‘Tamale Makers.’’ Peterson and her Mexican husband lived in Mexico for five years while she soaked up the culture, took photograhs and painted. When her husband, who is an engineer, got a job in Laurinburg, she began to paint some of the scenes she recalled. One was a birthday party in which she observed the making of tamales under a palm-thatched shelter.

The oil painting shows three women forming the tamales while two men work with corn on a printed yellow tablecloth.

A pot boils in the foreground and hidden between trees are bottles of alcohol.

The show at the Arts Center at 301 Hay St. will be on view through Nov. 19.

Leslie Pearson: Along the Journey

2009-06-12T18:06:00.001-07:00

Indepth Arts News: absolutearts.com, a world-wide arts resource

"Leslie Pearson: Along the Journey"
2005-05-27 until 2005-06-17
Market Square Gallery
Fayetteville, NC, United States of America

The Market Square Gallery will feature Along the Journey, the landscape paintings of Fayetteville artist Leslie Pearson, May 27 through June 17. This is Pearson’s first solo exhibition in the North Carolina area. Leslie Pearson’s work represents a wide range of subject matter and style. Working primarily in oil and acrylic paint, she explores various avenues of interest including realism, text, abstraction, texture and non-objective imagery which she uses as a parallax for ideas, patterns, and emotions.

The selections from Along the Journey illustrate isolated instances, moments in time and places which represent significant points of realization for Pearson. Through these landscapes and seascapes, she recreates meditative environments which suggest both the loneliness of solitude and peaceful reflection. Pearson’s work is often a response to the beauty and simplicity of her natural surroundings which she uses as motifs to describe the idea of infinite reality and encourage contemplation.

Pearson is a professional artist based in Fayetteville, North Carolina. A Missouri native, Pearson earned a Bachelor’s degree in fine art from Southeast Missouri State University (1998) and was heavily involved in community arts programming as the Assistant Director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. In 2000 she moved to England where she earned a Master’s degree in Museum Studies at the University of Newcastle.

Upon returning to the States, Pearson joined the Army as a photojournalist for a military intelligence unit and freelanced as an Arts and Entertainment journalist for the Augusta Chronicle, a daily newspaper in Augusta, Georgia. She now works full-time from her home/studio and operates the Pearson Gallery.

Leslie Pearson markets her art with a portfolio at absolutearts.com. View more of her art at: http://www.absolutearts.com/portfolios/l/lesliepearson/

Leslie Pearson: Along the Journey

2009-06-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

Local Artist Leslie Pearson Debuts New Exhibit

2009-06-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

Up & Coming Weekly Magazine, Fayetteville, NC
July 13-19, 2005

By James Johnson

At 29, Missouri native Leslie Pearson has accomplished a lot in a career widely thought to be a “dead end.” This is due in large part, Pearson believes, to the support given to her by her family.

“I’ve always been into art,” said Pearson. “Ever since I was little. I feel like it’s something I was kind of born to do. Everyone has their thing, and that’s always been it for me. My parents have always been very supportive. They never looked down on my desire to be an artist. They never laughed at me, they always took it very seriously. So it became my elective in junior high and it continued on into college.”

After having earned her Bachelor’s of Fine Art from Southeast Missouri State University (1998), Pearson moved to England where she earned her Masters of Museum Studies at the University of Newcastle. After returning to the States, Pearson hoped to use the education she’d gained to pursue a professional career in art.

Then seemingly out of nowhere, America was attacked on 9/11, resulting in the loss of over 3,000 lives. As America turned its attention toward seeking out its attackers, the arts community suffered(much of the funds being cut), meaning less jobs for those in the art community. The loss was especially difficult for Pearson. “I’d always been able to make money at it,” she said. “I used to be a sign painter, so I was able to work toward paying tuition and stuff like that, and I got paid internships, and got a paid position working at the Arts Council. And I also sold my work all along the way.”

Pearson, who herself had married a military man, was out of work. As is in Pearson’s nature, she adapted to the changing times by joining the Army as a photojournalist for a military intelligence unit and freelanced as an arts and entertainment journalist for the Augusta Chronicle, a newspaper based in Georgia.

“It seemed totally crazy at the time, but I happened to be working all these odd jobs, and I met someone who was going to become a teacher, and she’d joined the army to have her tuition paid, so she said, ‘Go pay your student loans off,’ and I was like, ‘Wow, I have a lot of student loans,’” Pearson said.

“I’m glad I joined the Army in the long run.”

Years after the 9/11 attacks, Pearson has returned her focus to her art, working full-time from her art studio, and operating the Pearson Gallery, which can be found at 424 Dunmore Road in Fayetteville. Pearson’s art demonstrates a variety of different styles, form the more traditional landscapes (realism), texture, words and non-objective imagery, to the abstract. “I try to have a diverse style,” Pearson explained. “I do realistic large scale landscapes, and then on the other hand, I love working with shapes like the square. I love texture, and I love to incorporate texture and words in my work.”

Pearson’s work has been described as a response to both the beauty and simplicity of her natural surroundings, which she uses as a motif to describe the idea of infinite reality and encourage contemplation.

Fayetteville’s residents will have a chance to judge for themselves July 22 (part of 4th Friday) through Aug. 22, at the Schuller, Ferris and Lindstrom Architect’s Gallery, 214 Burgess Street. Work from her “Newcastle Architecture” and “KCMO - Searching For Self” series will be on display.

For more information, call SFL+A Architects at 484-4989, and to view other work of Pearson’s, her website can be found at www.lesliekpearson.com.

Schuller, Ferris, and Lindstrom - Architect's Gallery

2009-06-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

Carolina Arts, A Publication Covering the Arts in the Carolinas

August Issue 2005

Schuller, Ferris, and Lindstrom Architect's Gallery, in downtown Fayetteville, NC, is featuring the paintings of local artist Leslie Pearson, through Aug. 22, 2005. The selected works are from the series: Newcastle Architecture and KCMO - Searching for Self.

Pearson's work represents a wide range of subject matter and style. Working primarily in oil and acrylic paint, she explores various avenues of interest including realism, texture, words and non-objective imagery which she uses as a parallax for ideas, patterns, and emotions.

The eight piece, three-dimensional series Newcastle Architecture, was inspired while Pearson was living in Newcastle, England (2000-2001). Coming from a small town in rural America, the post-industrial cityscape of Newcastle seemed to radiate with a rich history unfamiliar to her.

Located in the heart of the North East of England, Newcastle has a plethora of buildings, cathedrals, and monuments that exemplify Roman, Georgian and Victorian influence. The streets of the city center are filled with weathered windows, doors, and alleyways which create visually stimulating imagery. The city rests on the site of the Roman military station Pons Aelii, at Hadrian's Wall. A former coal mining and shipbuilding hub, Newcastle is now a forward-looking city seeking to create a dialogue between its community and the arts.

KCMO -- Searching for Self includes 18 pieces done in oil pastels on paper. The series transpired over the course of several months following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when Pearson lived in Kansas City, MO. During that time she contemplated the complexities of her own life and eventually joined the Army as a photojournalist (2002-2004). While the pieces in this series are much smaller and more intimate than is typical of Pearson, the heavy use of line and texture continues to be a dominant theme that illustrates a desire for balance.

Pearson is a professional artist based in Fayetteville. A Missouri native, Pearson earned a Bachelor's degree in fine art from Southeast Missouri State University (1998) and was heavily involved in community arts programming as the Assistant Director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. In 2000 she moved to England where she earned a Master's degree in Museum Studies at the University of Newcastle.

Upon returning to the States, Pearson joined the Army as a photojournalist for a military intelligence unit and freelanced as an Arts and Entertainment journalist for the Augusta Chronicle, a daily newspaper in Augusta, GA. She now works full-time from her home/studio and operates the Pearson Gallery.

For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings or call SFL + A Architects at 910/484-4989.

Abstracts Require a Little Imagination

2009-06-12T17:56:00.000-07:00

The Faytteville Observer, Fayetteville, NC August 5, 2005
August 5, 2005

By Melissa Clement, staff writer

Whether you call it abstract, nonobjective or non-representational art, it seems you either love it or you hate it.

Why? For one thing, it doesn’t tell you what to think. You have to use a little imagination and conjure up your own ideas. Or you can just enjoy it for it’s colors, composition and patterns or because it’s interesting to look at.

Leslie Pearson chose to show abstraction in her most recent show, which opened on Fourth Friday at the Shuller, Ferris & Lindstrom Architects Gallery.

She works in a variety of styles and mediums and has shown her landscape paintings in “Public Works’’ at the Arts Center and in a one-man show at Market Square Gallery.

But where better to show her abstract works featuring geometric shapes and patterns than in an architects’ office? Especially apropos is her mixed-media series titled “Newcastle Architecture.’’

The series is based on the colors, patterns and shapes she observed in Newcastle, England, while she was a student there.

Pearson, who is 29 and a Missouri native, earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Southeast Missouri State University in 1998. After graduation she worked in a community-arts program as the Assistant Director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. In 2000, she moved to England, where she earned a master’s degree in museum studies at the University of Newcastle.

The year in England inspired her Newcastle architectural series.

“In Newcastle, I lived in a small room and started working with small shapes. I became fascinated with the architecture around me, the history and the alleyways, the Post Industrial doorways, windows and the erosion of the windows where, over the years, rain dripped down creating streaks of color.’’

If you look carefully at the Newcastle pieces, you can see the drip marks, the erosion and the rust. Each piece is mounted on a small box that once held the candy bars Pearson ate in England while she worked. She liked the shape of these and mounted the mixed-media pieces on them.

“I started with wallpaper paste and adhered the canvas to the surface,’’ she said. “Keeping the ragged look around the edges, I began painting with oil, layer over layer, letting it drip and scrumbling over it to pick up texture. I let whatever happened happen. After I had done one, then that piece spoke to another to see what would happen. I am never short of ideas, just short of time.’’

In the north gallery she shows 11 oil-pastel paintings on paper titled “KCMO (Kansas City, Missouri) Searching for Self.’’ The inspiration for these came after she returned home to Kansas City just as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks occurred.

“I had wanted to work in a museum, but after that happened, the funding for the arts was cut back in Missouri,” she said. “I had to pay back my student loans. I wasn’t sure what to do. It was a time of searching for self. Making art makes sense to me when nothing else does.’’

While creating the “Searching” series, she made up her mind to join the Army. It gave her a job, a place to live and money to pay off debts, she said.

For two years she worked as a photojournalist until she lost the hearing in one ear and got out of the Army. She and her Army photographer husband, Justin Pearson, have opened Pearson Gallery, where she works at her art full time.

To see more of Pearson’s work, visit www.lesliekpearson.com.

The show at Shuller, Ferris & Lindstrom Architects will be on view through Aug. 22. Call 484-4989.

Contemporary Works of Faith

2009-06-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

The Pearson Gallery Features Works by Leslie Pearson

Carolina Arts, A Publication Covering the Arts in the Carolinas

March Issue 2006

The Pearson Gallery in Fayetteville, NC, is presenting the exhibit, Contemporary Works of Faith, a new series of oil paintings by Leslie Pearson that delineates various biblical stories and ideologies. The exhibit will be on view through Mar. 31, 2006.

Much of the work by Pearson focuses on women and reflects the strength and perseverance they have obtained throughout their lives and personal spiritual journeys. Although the stories from the Bible were written and lived out in a time and culture that seem ancient and unfamiliar, there are timeless truths learned by those women that are relevant for today.

The use of text is an recurring thematic element in Pearson's work. Sometimes the words bring clarity to the painting and sometimes it adds to the ambiguity of the image. Many artists have combined words and images in their art on occasion. Some artists reject the combination on the grounds that visual art should stand on its own without language. Others prefer to use words exclusively. In Pearson's case, the interplay between words and images acts as an effective vehicle for communicating ideas.

The Anguish, one of the paintings in the exhibition, illustrates the biblical theme that joy can spring from a time of great sorrow. The concept is elucidated by Christ in the book of John, chapter 16, verses 20-22 when He likens the pain His disciples are feeling on the night of His impending death to the great but temporary pain felt by a woman in childbirth. He uses this example to comfort His sorrowful disciples and to alleviate their heartache with the assurance of His presence through the Holy Spirit and the promise that their grief would not last forever.

In the painting, the words "She no longer remembers the anguish" rests beneath a hovering mass of obscure, textured layers that suggests a haze of chaotic turmoil; a difficult, perplexing or trying situation. The heaviness appears to lift like a dark cloud after a storm and the phrase hangs in suspension like a whispered sigh of relief. The hand painted text is imperfect which reflects the flaws of human nature, while the words echo the most comforting thing that could ever be said to a woman in sorrow - the promise that her pain will be temporary and that God sees and understands her plight. Christ's promise that happiness can be birthed from of a time of distress gives hope to a hurting heart.

Pearson is a professional artist based in Fayetteville. A Missouri native, she earned a Bachelor's degree in fine art from Southeast Missouri State University (1998) and a Master's degree in Museum Studies at the University of Newcastle, England. She now works full-time from her home/studio and operates the Pearson Gallery.

For more information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings, call the gallery at 910/494-0690 or at: www.lesliekpearson.com.

Artist’s Exhibit Is Anything But Square

2009-06-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

The Fayetteville Observer, Fayetteville, NC
August, 4, 2006

By Melissa Clement, staff writer

Leslie Pearson returns to SfL+a Architects Gallery this month. Last year she showed abstract works inspired by living in Newcastle, England, where she was a student in 2002. She became fascinated with the historic architecture, especially windows and doors that had aged over the years leaving erosion, rust and unusual patterns. The work was based around squares and boxes, forms that have fascinated her all her life.

This time, she combines several of her series with an emphasis on lines, boxes and squares brightened up with the use of primary colors.

Her “Study Blocks” series are square blocks of color and sometimes are titled with the real color and sometimes with another color. “Yellow (Blue)” is actually blue.

I pulled it from a series I called ‘Red, Yellow, Blue,’” she says. “Basically, what I was doing was an exercise in color recollection. When we hear the word ‘yellow’ we get a visual of that color in our minds. I wanted to see if it evoked any different emotion in people if they saw the word paired with a different color — if they saw the color yellow written, (on the painting) but the color would actually be blue.”

The real beauty in the show is “Sewn Squares,’’ a large wall hanging made with oil painted fabric pieces together in random sizes and shapes based on squares that are a little jazzed up. Her squares are anything but square. They are loose and seem to want to dance off the canvas.

From her “Bird on A Wire” series comes a bird about to fly away. Printed words across the canvas read, “I can almost taste the freedom.” Another work in the bird series shows a bird ready to fly and reads, “It’s a dangerous game when the stakes are so high.” The painting “Put me in a box and I’ll get out’’ shows three boxes above the words. She painted that series after her stint in the army was over. She was a photojournalist until she lost hearing in one ear.

“What I try to do is use my art as a means of communicating with people,” Pearson says. “I want my art to engage people and evoke personal reflection. I also feel like being an artist is what I’m truly meant to be doing with my life, because I’m passionate about it, so I want to glorify God with what I do. I try to do that by staying true to myself and continually work to be successful.”

Pearson, a Missouri native, earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Southeast Missouri State University in 1998. After graduation, she worked in a community-arts program as the assistant director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. In 2000, she moved to England where she earned a master’s degree in museum studies at the University of Newcastle.

She and her photographer husband, Justin Pearson, have opened Pearson Gallery, where she works on her art full time.

Where: Sfl+a Architects, 214 Burgess St.
When: Through Aug. 22
Information: 484-4989. view more of Pearson's work online at www.lesliekpearson.com.

Staff writer Melissa Clement can be reached at clementm@fayettevillenc.com or 486-3528.

Who We Are: Leslie Pearson

2009-06-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

Discover Fayetteville Magazine, 2006-2007 Edition

Who we are and where we're from: A guide to living in the Cape Fear region

Arts and Entertainment Section, pg. 82
Leslie Pearson, oil painter

Q: Where are you from?
A: Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

Q: What brought you to Fayetteville?
A: My husband is in the Army. Actually, I was in the Army for a little while myself, based at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Ga. When I got out, I moved here to be with my husband.

Q: When?
A: About two years ago (2004).

Q: What was your first impression of Fayetteville?
A: I had a good impression. I like the downtown area. They’re making a lot of efforts toward embracing the arts. When I approached the galleries, they were eager to see my art.

Q: What is your lasting impression of Fayetteville?
A: I’m impressed with the way the community is made up of such a diverse group of people because of Fort Bragg. Some people don’t have family here; the whole community becomes your family.

From Artist to Soldier and Back Again

2009-06-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

City View, Fayetteville's Lifestyle Magazine, June/July 2007
Fayetteville, NC
By Shannon Ward, photos by Steve Alderidge

Overcoming limitations is a recurring theme in both the life and works of local artist Leslie Pearson. A painter who spent much of her young adulthood searching for a place to nurture the creative impulse, Pearson arrived in Fayetteville after her husband was stationed at Fort Bragg. They met while enlisted as photojournalists in the Army. Pearson had earned a bachelors degree from Southeast Missouri State University and a masters in museum studies from the University of Newcastle, but after graduation, she had difficulty finding a job.

“There were a lot of cutbacks in the arts when September 11 happened, and that forced me to into doing something else.” she said.

As a result, Pearson joined the Army. She said, “I couldn’t really do art because my first sergeant would come in for room inspection and say, ‘Get this crap cleaned up!’”

In spite of the limitations imposed by military life, Pearson views her stint in the Army as a positive experience. She said, “It not only challenged me physically and allowed me to pay off my student loans, but also allowed me to see that I was capable of doing something other than art as a career. I was a journalist, and I actually enjoyed it as a creative outlet. In a way, I let it go -- my art. I just kind of released it from my life, and afterward, when I got out of the Army, it really came back full force.”

In fact, one of the artist’s collections, Bird on a Wire, features four paintings that were inspired by Pearson’s memories of being a soldier:

“I would go out and stand in these rigid PT formations,” she said, “with my hands at parade rest. We couldn’t move. Then as the dawn was coming up, there would be these birds, so free, and one would just fly away. And I’d think, I want to be that bird. I want to be that bird so bad.”

Pearson’s enlistment ended in 2004, and she has since established herself as a professional artist. She also has expanded the original concept for Bird on a Wire to encompass not only her own quest for freedom, but also another recurring motif in her paintings: the struggle for women’s liberation. Pearson’s collection includes a series of five panels that depict the process of domesticating a bird and relate that process to historical attitudes regarding women. Pearson began the series after taking a walk through her neighborhood.

She said, “I saw this bird – so comfortable, perched in a branch, and I started thinking of how people lure birds to them and how the birds start to become tame. It’s almost like a trap -- first, you have the bird in its natural environment, and then you have it being lured, almost seduced, almost taking away its personality.”

The last panel in the series shows the bird perched on a human hand. Between the first and last panels, painted words connect the artist’s subject matter to the theme of women’s liberation.

“I found this text on the internet about different ways to tame a bird,” Pearson said, “and I thought, wow. This sounds exactly like some 1950s advice that a father would give his son on his wedding day: ‘Separate the bird you want to train so that she can focus on you as a companion rather than her housemate. Leave her in solitude so she can accustom herself to her new home. Younger birds are easier to tame. They have not become set in their ways and usually have not already been trained.’”

Pearson explained that she wanted “to look back at how far we’ve come as women, at that idea of a woman just going into a household, just being a wife and a mother and not having the advantages that we have today -- the opportunities, the choices, the options.”

Pearson often approaches the topic of women’s liberation by gaining inspiration for her paintings from poetry, music and literature -- particularly stories from the Bible.

“As I seek to understand myself and my role in the world,” she said, “I look for parallels between my life and the lives of other people. Currently, I’m working on a series of paintings illustrating Biblical themes. Much of the work so far focuses on women and reflects on the strength and perseverance they obtained through their lives and their spiritual journeys.”

Pearson works from her studio and teaches art at Fayetteville Christian School. The Pearson Gallery is open by appointment only and is located at 424 Dunmore Road. For more information, contact the artist at (910) 494-0690 or leslie@lesliekpearson.com. To see more images of Pearson’s work, go to www.lesliekpearson.com.

Fall Art Exhibit Reception

2009-06-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

From the Davidson County Community College Website
August 3, 2007

The Moments in Time art exhibit will remain open through December 14 and may be viewed during the college's regular operating hours. The reception and exhibit are open to the public.

Eight artists representing a wide range of styles and mediums will be featured in Davidson County Community College’s fall art exhibit, Moments in Time, which opens on August 21. An opening reception is set for 4-6 p.m. in the Mendenhall Building on the Davidson Campus.

The exhibiting artists, who come from four different states, demonstrate how the various means of artistic expression they represent extend their views of form and design.

The artists selected for the Moments in Time show are Barbara Cullen of Winston-Salem – watercolor, mixed media, collage; Carl Gombert of Maryville, TN – oil, ink, mixed media, collage; Ed Harris of Elizabethtown – watercolor; Carolyn Landers of Naples, FL – oil; Steve LeGrand of Jamestown – sculpture; Callie Mott Matthews of N. Little Rock, AR – oil, print, pen, pencil; Leslie Pearson of Fayetteville – oil, acrylic, mixed media; and Laura Yarbrough of Lexington – photography.

Sculptor Steve LeGrand creates the beauty and movement of dance with his ballerina figures of Snow Queen and Hannah. The actual model for Hannah is Hannah Kiefer, the 2007 winner of Virginia’s Miss USA pageant. LeGrand has a fine eye for detail and gives his work a depth of feeling. He strives to capture the inner person with his sculptural figures and hopes to convey an emotional message.

Barbara Cullen adds a creative twist to cityscape, combining color and shape with mixed media to represent the ever changing views of a city and its excitement.

Carl Gombert puts his own spin on portraiture by looking for feelings behind the face and creating large works with small ink stampings that create a depth and form of their own.

Traditional painters Ed Harris in watercolor and Carolyn Landers in oil capture the beauty of flowers and still life with colorful works intended to excite the senses.

Callie Mott Matthews works from the belief that artistic awareness comes from an open mind. Her work of mark making and atmospheric value creates a visual field and depicts a moment in time.

Leslie Pearson’s work involves personal reflection. Her ideas and emotions are represented by words, patterns and textures.

Photographer Laura Yarbrough senses a vitality in life that her photos represent with color and form. Read more...

Moments In Time

2009-06-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

Exhibition Showcases Fine Art At DCCC

The Dispatch, Lexington, NC
August 3, 2007

By Deneesha Edwards

Nearly 70 pieces of artwork from artists who represent a wide range of styles and mediums are being featured in Davidson County Community College's fall art exhibit, "Moments in Time," on two floors of the Mendenhall Building.

The exhibit opened Tuesday with a reception.

"They all duplicate the same feeling, a moment in time," said Barbara Cullen, the exhibit coordinator and an artist. "They capture that bit of time."

The eight artists from four different states have works in watercolors, oils, acrylic and photography, just to name a few. They had to submit their work to a committee to be selected for the show.

The exhibit features one person from Lexington, Laura Yarbrough, who is also the associate dean of finance and administration in the business department at DCCC. She displays a sense of vitality in life by representing colors and forms with photos.

This was the first show for Yarbrough, who has been taking pictures on and off for 10 years. She was encouraged to enter the show after coworkers viewed some of her work hanging in her office.

"It's exciting," she said. "It's a little overwhelming but in a good way."

Yarbrough, who said she has no formal training, had 10 photographs in the show. A majority of the pictures she took while traveling.

"For me each picture represents where I am in my life at that particular time," she said. "I love taking pictures. I just love documenting my trips and what I (have) done."

She has plans to enter more shows and take some classes after seeing how people received her photographs.

Other North Carolina artists included in the show are Cullen, Steve LeGrand, Leslie Pearson and Ed Harris. Cullen of Winston-Salem does watercolors, mixed media and collages. She adds a creative twist to cityscape and combines color and shape with mixed media to represent the changing views of a city and its excitement, according to a DCCC press release and her artist's statement in the exhibit. The styles of other artists described below also come from those two sources.

LeGrand of Jamestown is a sculptor who creates the beauty and movement of dance with his ballerina figures of Snow Queen and Hannah. The actual model for Hannah is Hannah Kiefer, the 2007 winner of Virginia's Miss USA pageant. LeGrand has been known to have a fine eye for detail and gives his work a depth of feeling by striving to capture the inner person with his sculptural figures while hoping to convey emotional messages.

Pearson of Fayetteville has oil, acrylic and mixed media that involves personal reflection. Her ideas and emotions are represented by words, patterns and textures.

Ed Harris of Elizabeth is a traditional watercolor painter who captures the beauty of flowers and still life.

Other artists include Carl Gombert of Maryville, Tenn., who puts his own spin on portraiture by looking for feelings behind the face and creating large words with small ink stampings that create a depth and form of their own. He also does oil, ink, mixed media and collages.

Oil painter Carolyn Landers of Naples, Fla., also is a traditional watercolor painter who captures the beauty of flowers and still life with colorful works.

Callie Mott Matthews of North Little Rock, Ark., works from the belief that artistic awareness comes from an open mind. Her oil, print, pen and pencil works create a visual field and depicts a moment in time.

"This is a really good turnout," said Cullen about the reception. "This is definitely a learning experience for everyone young and old that can always learn fun techniques that are being used."

The exhibit will be on display until Dec. 14 and may be viewed by the public during the college's regular operating hours. A majority of the work on display is for sale.

Deneesha Edwards can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 213, or at deneesha.edwards@the-dispatch.com.

DCCC Fall Art Exhibit

2009-06-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

From the website of Davidson County Community College
August 24, 2007

The opening of Davidson County Community College’s fall art exhibit Moments in Time and a Thomasville and Lexington Chambers of Commerce Business After Hours event brought around 80 people to the Davidson Campus Tuesday to view the works of eight artists including DCCC staff member Laura Yarbrough.

Yarbrough, Associate Dean, Financial and Administrative Services, is an accomplished photographer who strives to move the viewer to feel the story that echoes in each of her photographs.

“When I take pictures, I am trying to find the right frame to emphasize the beauty of that moment,” Yarbrough says. “Each picture has a feeling, whether it is trying to capture how the sunrise reflects off the ocean or how a little boy sleeps on the streets of Mexico while his mother sells jewelry to feed her family.”

Yarbrough was present at the opening in the Mendenhall Building to discuss her work with those attending the event. Other attending artists were Barbara Cullen of Winston-Salem, watercolor, mixed media and collage; Steve LeGrand of Jamestown, sculpture; Callie Mott Matthews of N. Little Rock, AR, oil, print, pen and pencil; and Leslie Pearson of Fayetteville, oil, acrylic and mixed media. In addition, the exhibit features the artwork of Carl Gombert of Maryville, TN, oil, ink, mixed media and collage; Ed Harris of Elizabethtown, watercolor; and Carolyn Landers of Naples, FL, oil.

The Moments in Time art exhibit will remain open through December 14 and may be viewed during the college’s regular operating hours.

Skin Deep

2009-06-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

Over a Dozen Local Artists Bare Their Artistic Soul

Encore Magazine, Wilmington, NC
December 17, 2007

By Lauren Hodges

Why does nudity ignite such controversy? Even though it is the most natural state for a human, we still become shy, judgmental and even shocked when faced with a body sans clothing. It really is a shame that the human form, in all its glory, is expected to be covered at all times, emerging only to be used for marketing, science or pornography. Why can’t we simply appreciate it, as it is, without degrading it, critiquing it or slapping a racing-flag bikini on it?

When it comes to art, however, the nude body can thankfully find solace in a world that respects and admires it as a subject, representing the shapes, colors and movements of human skin. Leslie Pearson, a local painter, finds a particularly raw beauty in the naked form.

“Throughout the history of art, the nude body has served as a standard for learning about ourselves and how we relate to each other,” Pearson says. “We all have a body, in one shape or another, and we are all involved in sex, birth, death and the physical changes that occur with time.”

She likes to use the naked body as a metaphor for life and garments as metaphors for the things that inhibit life. “When stripped of everything, we are often left with universal feelings of being exposed, vulnerable, demystified, and wanting acceptance and protection. The nude form is also steeped with various mental, emotional, and spiritual social norms and stigmas. Even though we live in a culture that is overloaded with ‘nakedness’ and is driven by sex, most people still have feelings of modesty at their own nudity and shame at seeing someone else’s nudity in the wrong context.”

Pearson displays no shame when using her own body as inspiration for art. She recalls fondly the day she happened upon a subject while simply going about her daily routine.

“One day, as I was getting out of the shower, I noticed that the light from the window was cascading in, causing dramatic shadows to show up on the back of the shower wall. I had a childlike moment and started making shadow puppets with my fingers, and then started striking theatrical poses. I was having so much fun I decided to go get my camera and take a few photos. I chose my three favorite images and translated them into my painting ‘Triple Silhouette.’”

“Silhouette” is a trio of oil paintings on stretched canvas, depicting a woman’s silhouette dancing in front of a window. Though the colors are dark and brooding, limited only to black, periwinkle gray and dusk-like blue, the canvases glow with movement. The subject itself conveys a playful personality, making jazz hands and striking poses in front of the window. Pearson admits that she had reason behind her color palette.

“I decided to work in all black and white because it adds to the already noir feeling of the poses,” she says, referring to “film noir” of the ‘40s, associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that was inspired by the German Expressionist era.

Fellow painter Janie Miller chooses to keep her nude subjects a little less personal by keeping their identities blank. Yet somehow, by omitting an identity, Miller manages to make each subject personal to the viewer by leaving interpretation completely open.

“The human figure is a vehicle for emotion, and that is what I concentrate on with my figure paintings,” Miller says. “The body contains emotion, contains the mind and shows these emotions through posture, through position.” She admits, however, that the intimacy of the human body presents a challenge—and it has nothing to do with shyness.

“The human eye detects inaccuracies instantly,” she says. “Each [of the bodies] exist in a space that nearly define the figure rather than allowing the figure to define the area, thus creating a sort of harmony where the only lasting detail is the emotion carried through by the posturing of the figure itself.”

This week Miller and Pearson will join a dozen other nude enthusiasts at Bottega Gallery for “Flesh: A Celebration of the Human Form,” a nude art exhibition that will include male and female subjects in several mediums. “What I like about the ‘Flesh’ exhibition is that the nudes are all tastefully done, mostly in the classical style of a life-drawing class,” Pearson explains. “It’s a celebration of the body as a beautiful creation and an honest approach at attempting to master the human form as a work of art, as well as an effort to capture the human spirit.”

Other artists appearing at “Flesh” include Pam Toll, Liz Bender, Ben Billingsley, Frank Capasso, Danielle Couture, Bonnie England, Gail Guthrie, Rachel Kastner, Kee Wilde-Ramsing, Loraine Scalimoni, Rocco Taldin and Gayle Tustin. “Flesh” is currently hanging at Bottega Gallery at 208 North Front Street, downtown. A reception for the artists will be held on December 21st at 7pm. Call (910) 763-3737 for more information.

4th Friday Journey

2009-06-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

Up & Coming Magazine, May 18-24, 2005

By Michelle Walls

Visitors can enjoy a series of landscape paintings by local artist Leslie Pearson at the Market Square Gallery at 118 Hay Street. Pearson earned a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Southeast Missouri State University.

After earning a master’s degree in Museum Studies at the University of Newcastle, England, Pearson returned to the States and joined the Army. Pearson worked as a photojournalist for a military intelligence unit at Fort Gordon, Ga. while her husband was stationed at Fort Bragg. Pearson’s work encompasses a wide variety of different techniques including elements of realism, text, abstracts and texture through which she communicates her emotions and connects with people.

“The landscape paintings from the series Along the Journey are like excerpts from my memory journal,” said Pearson. “They represent places I’ve been throughout various stages of my life which have made an impression on me in a way that made me want to recapture, recreate and essentially relive the experience, so to speak.”

The landscapes represent memories that remind her of the feelings of happiness she felt when she and her husband spent time together mixed with the feelings of sadness, knowing that they would eventually have to part ways. “The paintings are for the most part void of people and tend to evoke a sense of loneliness or solitude. A lot of the paintings represent times in my life when I’ve felt loneliness and I think that feeling comes through in the painting. I want people to come to the gallery to see the landscapes and enjoy them on a realistic level” said Pearson. “They can also experience a part of my memory this way.”

This is Pearson’s first individual art exhibit in Fayetteville and she is excited about the showing. “Every viewer brings their own experiences to artwork when they see it. That’s why landscape paintings can be so relatible, because most people, at some point in their lives have had a need for the quiet respite of nature and have even felt small when encountering the greatness of God’s creation.”

For more info about 4th Friday and the venue locations, contact the Arts Council at 323-1776.

Circumstance and Change at Gallery 208

2009-06-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Up & Coming Weekly Magazine, February 13-19, 2008

By Soni Martin

The subject and style of Leslie Pearson’s paintings has changed during the last decade depending on her location. From the three-dimensional “Newcastle Architecture” series, inspired while living in Newcastle England to the “Along the Journey” landscape series; the unity in her work during the last decade is her response to moments of aesthetic awareness fueled by circumstance.

Pearson’s circumstance has changed many times during the last 15 years. Although she is a professional artist living in Fayetteville, she is a Missouri native who earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Southeast Missouri State University in 1998. After graduation she became the assistant director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri.

In 2000, she moved to England where she earned a master’s degree in museum studies at the University of Newcastle. Upon returning to the state, Pearson joined the Army as a photojournalist for a military intelligence unit and freelanced as an arts and entertainment journalist for the Augusta Chronicle, a daily newspaper in Augusta, Ga. She now works full-time from her home and studio in Fayetteville and operates the Pearson Gallery.

A visit to her Web site (www.lesliekpearson.com) allows us to see the range of styles in her work. Whereas most artists cringe at having to write an artist’s statement, Pearson is comfortable with words. She refers to the Along the Journey landscape series as “illustrations of isolated instances, moments in time and places which represent significant points of realization. Through these landscapes I recreate meditative environments which suggest both the loneliness of solitude and peaceful reflection. My work is often a response to the beauty and simplicity of my natural surroundings which I use as motifs to describe the idea of infinite reality and encourage contemplation.”

Her recent work, being exhibited as Gallery 208 at the corporate offices of Up & Coming Weekly, is a series of paintings which references nature, objects and the use of text. Her style is different from the earlier work, but the essence of Pearson’s work remains the same. The essence is personal and narrative in nature; her paintings illicit contemplation about her environment (nature, political or spiritual). Person’s message dominates her work in a way that does not leave the viewer much room to interpret; instead we are more akin to receptors of her message.

Pearson confirmed my interpretation of her work by stating: “ Every viewer brings his own experiences to artwork when they see it and are usually making a conscious effort to find meaning. With the use of words, I want to make people a little more aware of my intention behind the work. The paintings actively state something; they actually have something to say. Words have a way of catching the eye. Letters in themselves can be aesthetically interesting symbols to look at. People bring their own recognition of those symbols, an understanding of what the words mean within the given social and historical context of the painted image, and within that framework they can find their own element of truth.”

The use of text and image can be seen throughout the Gallery 208 exhibit. In the large oil painting titled Bird in the Sky, Pearson has painted a sky-scape. In the painting, black birds are perched on telephone lines, the telephone pole supports a street light, a transformer; the telephone pole anchors the far right side of the canvas, one lone white bird soars among the black birds. The painting is low key in color –– grays, blacks, sky blue and a hint of earth brown. The text on the representational images reads “bird in the sky, you know how I feel.”

Not without words on or off the canvas, Pearson stated the following about her Bird on a Wire series, “I started as I neared the end of my two-year stint in the Army as a photojournalist. About a year into training I went totally deaf in my right ear. I subsequently spent the remaining time being medically discharged and learning to accept my disability. Not only was the experience a bit overwhelming, it took quite awhile to feel like myself again because I had to deal with headaches and vertigo; symptoms other people couldn’t see on the surface (and thankfully have now subsided). I always felt like I was a bird on a wire teetering between two worlds –– civilian life and military life. I remember the early mornings spent standing in exercise formations and looking up at the silhouettes of the birds on the telephone wires above and thinking I wish I was as free as they are, I wish I could fly away and have my own life back again. That’s the essence of this series of paintings, to be within reach of what you want so badly but still not being able to access it. I’m proud that I was able to serve my country but overall, I’m glad to put it behind me and move forward.”

Pearson’s work touches on the personal, the reflective and the political. In the painting titled Caged, she has created images using an overlay of text, a birdcage, and a woman –– all carefully crafted in a flattened design pattern, types of information. Pearson’s artist statement about the work references her interest in the “current struggles and gender issues that women face. I try not to forget that a previous generation of women fought so that I can have choices.”

For the painting titled Caged, Pearson was reminded of how she takes her right of choices for granted after reading an out-of-date sex education textbook for girls –– written by a woman in the 1960s. Pearson was inspired to paint Caged after reading directions like the following: “...remember to look your best when going to bed. Try to achieve a look that is welcoming without being obvious. If you need to apply face cream or hair rollers, wait until he is asleep as this can be shocking to a man...when he reaches his moment of sexual fulfillment, a small moan from yourself is encouraging to him and quite sufficient to indicate any enjoyment you may have had.”

If you are an art appreciator that prefers not to read artist’s statements, then you will certainly have that option. But if you like to read the thoughts by artists, then Person’s exhibit is one in which you have the opportunity to read detailed descriptions of what inspires her.

Both types of visitors to Gallery 208 at Up & Coming Weekly on Rowan Street will enjoy the variety of material and objects Pearson uses to express herself. From printing on hymn books to sealing the surface of a painting with layers of epoxy resin, Pearson’s experimental nature will nudge viewers to rethink what a painting can be and how an artist can use the ordinary to inspire the extraordinary.

The gallery hours are limited to Monday-Friday during regular business hours, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Well worth the trip to the Gallery 208, visitors to the gallery will be limited to only seeing Pearson’s latest body of work; yet they will be privy to how an artist combines pattern painting, emotion, ext and objects to evoke contemplation.

Passing Strange and Wonderful

2009-06-12T17:15:00.001-07:00

Campbell House Features Paintings of Leslie Pearson

The Pilot, Southern Pines, NC
January 3, 2008

By Paula Montgomery: Special to the Pilot

Fayetteville artist, Leslie Pearson, will open a new exhibition of paintings at the Campbell House Galleries in January.

A reception to meet the artist will be held Friday, Jan. 4, from 6 to 8 p.m. Friends of the artist host the reception, which is free and open to the public. The exhibit is on display through Jan. 28, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays, and from 2 to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 19 and 20. The galleries will be closed Jan. 21 in observance of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. The Campbell House Galleries are located at 482 East Connecticut Avenue, Southern Pines.

"Passing Strange and Wonderful", Pearson's first solo exhibition in Southern Pines, will feature several new landscape paintings in which she incorporates some unusual materials such as sand, sugar, paper, and plaster to create interesting textural properties.

Pearson's work represents a wide range of subject matter and style. Working primarily in oil and acrylic paint, she explores various avenues of interest including realism, texture, words and nonobjective imagery which she uses as a parallax for ideas, patterns, and emotions.

The selections from "Passing Strange and Wonderful" illustrate isolated instances, moments in time, and places that represent significant points of realization for Pearson. Through the landscapes, Pearson recreates meditative environments that suggest the loneliness of solitude and peaceful reflection.

"These paintings are like excerpts from my memory journal," says Pearson. "They are places I've been throughout various stages of my life which have made an impression one me in a way that made me want to recapture, recreate, and essentially relive the experience. Like everyone, I have a need to connect with other people, and I do it best through painting."

Among the pieces in the exhibition is "Hadrian's Wall," a large-scale painting in five vertical panels that captures her personal experience at a historical stone and turf fortification built by the Roman Empire across the width of Great Britain.

Pearson is a professional artist based in Fayetteville. A Missouri native, Pearson earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Southeast Missouri State University and was heavily involved in community arts programming as the assistant director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. She moved to England in 2000 where she earned a master's degree in museum studies at the University of Newcastle.

Upon returning to the states, Pearson joined the Army as a photojournalist for a military intelligence unit and freelanced as an arts and entertainment journalist for the Augusta Chronicle, a daily newspaper in Augusta, Ga.

Pearson received a 2006-2007 Regional Artist Project Grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. She now works from her studio, operates the Pearson Gallery, and teaches art at Fayetteville Christian School.

Other examples of Pearson's work can be viewed at www.lesliekpearson.com.

For more information about the January exhibit, contact the Arts Council of Moore County at 692-4356 or visit the Web site at www.artscouncil-moore.org.

'Off the Diving Board', PB Native's Book Published

2009-06-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

Daily American Republic, Poplar Bluff, Missouri
February 24, 2008

By Tim Krakowiak, staff writer

Poplar Bluff native Leslie Pearson recently had a book published that features a collection of her artwork.

The 146-page, full-color book of reproductions, photographs, and journal entries is titled, "Off the Diving Board, The Narrative Paintings of Leslie Pearson." It was made possible through a regional artist project grant from the North Carolina Arts Council.

Freedom and femininity are recurring themes in Pearson's mixed-media artwork, which are primarily done in oil and acrylic paint, combined with punchy phrases to provoke thought.

"Every viewer brings their own experiences to artwork when they see it and usually makes a conscious effort to find meaning," Pearson wrote in the introduction of her book. "I use text to inject tone and voice to a piece, not to offer an explanation."

Pearson was a 1994 graduate of Poplar Bluff High School. She went on to complete the art program at Three Rivers Community College and studied fine arts at Southeast Missouri State University.

Today Pearson works from her studio, operates the Pearson Gallery, and teaches art at Fayetteville Christian School in North Carolina.

The title of her book comes from an old inside joke between the artist and her father, the late Larry Stucker, she explained. She was preparing her portfolio to present to future college professors when she decided to create an abstract painting to add to the mix.

Pearson said, "After working on it for a while I showed it to (my father) and with dry sarcasm he said, 'Now stick a sponge on it and call it off the diving board. I'm sure they'll love it.'" She incorporated a sponge, gave it the title and sure enough, her father knew her best, because the teachers found the symbolism becoming of her work, she said.

"Hey, I thought it was pretty good too," said Pearson. "So we always had a laugh about it."

To view Pearson's narrative paintings, visit www.lesliekpearson.com. To purchase the book, go to www.lesliepearson.blogspot.com.

Leslie Pearson - Resonance and Relevance

2009-06-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

February 22 - March 26, 2008
From the website of the Cape Fear Artist Studios, Inc.:

"We are thrilled to welcome prestigious local artist Leslie Pearson. Known for her large pieces and defined style, Leslie is a gem in our community and we are thrilled to have her at Cape Fear Studios with her unique show entitled Resonance and Relevance."

Artist Statement: These selections are from a series of painting called Resonance and Relevance, which reference various biblical stories, themes, scriptures. Much of the work so far focuses on women and reflects the strength and perseverance they have obtained throughout their lives and personal spiritual journeys. Although the stories from the Bible were written and lived out in a time and culture that seem ancient and unfamiliar, there are timeless truths learned by those women that are relevant for today.

The use of text is a recurring thematic element in my work. Sometimes the words bring clarity to the painting and sometimes it adds to the ambiguity of the image. Many artists have combined words and images in their art on occasion. Some artists reject the combination on the grounds that visual art should stand on its own without language. Others prefer to use words exclusively. In my case, the interplay between the hand-painted words and images acts as an effective vehicle for communicating ideas.

Every viewer brings their own experiences to artwork with how they see it and are usually making a conscious afford to find meaning. With the use of words I want to make people a little more aware of my intention behind the work. The paintings actively state something; they actually "have something to say." Words have a way of catching the eye. Letters in themselves can be aesthetically interesting symbols to look at. People bring their own recognition of those symbols, an understanding of what the words mean within the given social and historical context of the painted image, and within that framework they can find their own element of truth.

Throckmorton Library Art Exhibit

2009-06-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

MWR in Motion, Spring 2008 Magazine

By Rachel Bjorn

WHAT BETTER WAY to pass the last remaining cold days of the season than by enjoying a good book from Throckmorton Library! While perusing the aisles for your favorite author’s latest novel you can also check out the artwork of local artist Leslie Pearson.

Throckmorton Library hosts a rotating exhibition of artwork by local artists that changes several times a year and is open to the public for viewing. Pearson, a former soldier, describes the 15 pieces in this show as “an experiment in the process of painting” because most of the pieces are quite different from the traditional “brush to canvas” idea of painting. She uses a plethora of interesting materials to create her mixed media works including sand, spray paint, inks and wax. Her works will be on display through March 14 during regular library hours.

One of the more notable pieces is a small pastel called “KCMO Searching for Self #2”, which is from an 18 piece series. “The series came about in the months following the terrorist attacks of 9/11. During that time I contemplated the complexities of my own life and eventually joined the Army as a photojournalist,” Pearson said.“While the pieces in this series are much smaller and more intimate than is typical of my work, the heavy use of line and texture continues to be a dominant theme that illustrates my desire for balance.”

“Leslie Pearson is an artist exploring the traditional space we see on a daily basis in a nontraditional way through her rich use of lines, marks, and patterns,” said Tom Grubb, the Director of the Fayetteville Museum of Art. “From her titles the viewer gains insight as to what the artist is thinking--her use of a variety of media brings a sublime distinction to her work.”

Pearson received a 2006-2007 Regional Artist Project Grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/ Cumberland County, and recently published Off the Diving Board, a full-color art book featuring a collection of her narrative work. Her work can also be seen at Gallery 208 on Rowan Ave. until April 13.

Image: “Yellow” , Charcoal, spray-paint and acrylic paint on paper , 1999

Art Exhibit
WHEN: Through March 14, 2008
WHERE: Throckmorton Library Randolph Street 396-BOOK
HOURS: 11 am-9 pm Monday- Thursday 1-5 pm Friday-Sunday

Gallery 208 To Showcase Works of Leslie Pearson

2009-06-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

Up & Coming Magazine, Fayetteville, NC
January 21-25, 2008

By Staff Reports

When one thinks of the Army, the idea of artistic creativity is not usually the first thing to come to mind. When one things of the word Artist, the word Soldier is also not the first thing to come to mind. But for one Fayetteville artist, the Army was a springboard into a full-time career in the arts. On Thursday, Jan. 24, Gallery 208 will welcome Leslie Pearson, a former Soldier now artist, to the main gallery.

Pearson, a Missouri native, came to Fayetteville by way of the U.S. Army, although art was her first love. Prior to joining the Army, she received a bachelor’s in fine art from Southeast Missouri State University in 1998 and was heavily involved in community arts programming as the assistant director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. In 2000, she moved to England to tackle a master’s degree in museum studies at the University of Newcastle. Then 9/11 hit and funding for arts programs took a sharp decline. Unable to find a job in her field, Pearson joined the Army as a photojournalist for a military intelligence unit and freelanced as an arts and entertainment journalist for the “Augusta Chronicle,” a daily newspaper in Augusta, Georgia.

While she didn’t actively pursue her art while in the Army, she did find inspiration during her time in service, and upon hanging up her uniform, she jumped feet first into her art and has an impressive body of works to show for it.

Pearson’s art “explores life’s complexities and offers insight into the human condition while primarily speaking through the experiences of women.” Pearson, an art instructor at Fayetteville Christian School, gains her inspiration in a variety of place -- poetry, history and from her own general musings and love and relationships.

She says that her works are “often allegorical and offer a figurative mode of representation to convey a meaning other than the literal. I use myself as a model for the majority of the figural work as a way to connect with the character I’m seeking to identify with.”

Unlike many artists who shy away from the use of text in their works, Pearson embraces text and uses it as a recurring element in her work.

“Sometimes the words bring clarity to the painting and sometimes it adds to the ambiguity of the image,” she explained. “Many artists have combined words and images in their art on occasion. Some artists reject the combination on the grounds that visual art should stand on its own without language. Others prefer to use words exclusively. In my case, the interplay between the hand-painted words and images acts as an effective vehicle for communicating ideas.”

Understanding that art and the interpretation of it is an individual experience, Pearson notes that people take their own experiences and try to find meaning in the art they observe. Often that meaning is different than the artist intent, but it is still a personal observance.

“I use text as a way to inject the tone and voice of the piece -- not to offer an explanation. Words have a way of catching the eye; letters are merely symbols that we attach meaning to,” she said. “People bring their own recognition of those symbols, an understanding of what the words mean within the given social and historical context of the painted image, and within that framework they can find their own element of truth.”

Pearson’s exhibit will open with a premier party on Thursday, Jan. 24 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the “Up & Coming Weekly” corporate offices located at 208 Rowan Street. Join the staff for an evening of wine, food and fine art as we celebrate a truly gifted community artist. Gallery 208 is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Leslie Pearson Unveils a Show at Gallery 208

2009-06-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

From the website of the Arts Council of Fayetteville:

Date: 1/24/2008
Time: 5:30-7:30
Location: Gallery 208, 208 Rowan Street
Event Type: Exhibit
Premiere Party: January 24, 2008, 5:30-7pm.
Show: Leslie Pearson, January 25 - April 15, 2008.

Leslie Pearson is a noted and prolific artist in Fayetteville. She teaches art at Fayetteville Christian School, manages the Pearson Gallery, and creates works from her own studio. She has had a slew of solo exhibitions all over the United States and her art has been featured in group exhibitions as far away as Germany.

Her current show uses narrative as a counterpoint to imagery; “My art explores life’s complexities and offers insight into the human condition, while primarily speaking through the experiences of women.” Leslie Pearson is particularly fascinated with the use of text in her work, as it can either illuminate or muddle a work. In Leslie’s art, “the interplay between the hand-painted words and images acts as an effective vehicle for communicating ideas.” She also focuses on bird imagery as a means to communicate strength, a sense of entrapment, and at the same time - femininity and freedom.

An engaging artist -- stop by and see her show at Gallery 208 at 208 Rowan Street, from January 24 - April 13, 2008.

Biblical Stories Inspire Artist Pearson

2009-06-12T16:22:00.001-07:00

The Fayetteville Observer, Fayetteville, NC
February 29, 2008

By Melissa Clement

Leslie Pearson reads her Bible every morning.

“I find relevance to my own life in the Scriptures,” she said at the opening of her show last Friday at the Cape Fear Studios. “As I digest the stories, I am able to communicate them through painting.’’

The show is titled “Resonance and Relevance,’’ and almost all of the 13 paintings have a biblical theme and tell a story. The hand-painted text on the work explains, or gives a hint, of the meanings.

“Pouring Out” depicts a young woman who is disturbed because she is barren. The story, taken from the book of Samuel, refers to Hannah. After she struggled with the problem, Hannah left it all in God’s hands, and thereby received peace. “She poured herself out” are the words hand-painted above the oil painting. Pearson under-paints with acrylics, then finishes the paintings with heavily textured oil paint.

In “Princess Warrior,’’ she veers from the Bible and straight into comic books to show the star-spangled super heroine, Wonder Woman. The fictional character was Pearson’s idol from age 5, she said, because of Wonder Woman’s beauty, talent, ability to do good and her warrior spirit.

“Phoenix Rising’’ is a dramatic painting in which she used herself as a model. The painting refers to the phoenix bird rising from its ashes to symbolize resurrection. The immortality refers to the biblical story of Jesus bringing a small child back from death.

In “She Believed,” Mary is shown in a blue mantle, which is a symbol of humanity and of purity of heart.

Pearson, who is a Missouri native, earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Southeast Missouri State University. She worked in a community arts program as assistant director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. In 2000, she moved to England. There, she earned a master’s degree in museum studies at the University of Newcastle. When arts funding was cut in Missouri, she lost her job. Later she joined the Army, where she worked as a photojournalist for two years. As a result of losing her hearing in one ear, she left the Army. Now she works full-time as an artist. She and her photojournalist husband, Justin Pearson, own Pearson Gallery.

“The Virtuous Wife’’ painting comes from Proverbs and reads: “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.”

Pearson says she earned the title after the couple bought a house to fix up, but when her husband was deployed to Afghanistan, she took up the task.

She re-enforced floor joists, installed a commode, scraped, sanded and painted the house with the help of two other Army wives.

In that collage, she used scraps of materials left over from the project, such as old paint and used sandpaper. A chalk drawing of the exterior and 12 photo transfers give viewers a glimpse into the progress of the reconstruction.

Staff writer Melissa Clement can be reached at clementm@fayobserver.com or 486-3528.

‘RESONANCE AND RELEVANCE’
What: The artwork of Leslie Pearson
When: The show will be on view through March 26.
Where: Cape Fear Studios, 148 Maxwell St.
Information: Call 433-2986

Leap of Faith: Pearson's Book Tells A Lifetime of Stories

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Encore Magazine, Wilmington, NC

March 26 - April 2, 2008

By Lauren Hodges

When looking back on our lives, what do we have to remind us of our journey? There are photo albums of age-progressing pictures, filled with fashion errors and friends with whom we’ve lost touch. Some of us have journals documenting our heartbreaks, frustrations, triumphs—and bad handwriting. Human beings have a natural instinct to document their days, dating all the way back to cave drawings and hieroglyphics. Whether we are looking forward to the nostalgia or just needing a means to capture the moment, people are finding new ways to put their thoughts and feelings out into the world every day.

Leslie Pearson, a soon-to-be local artist, mixes text and painted images to convey her messages to an audience.

“I use text to inject tone and voice to a piece, not to offer an explanation,” she says. “Words have a way of catching the eye; letters are merely symbols that we attach meaning to. People bring their own recognition of those symbols, an understanding of what the words mean within the given social and historical context of the painted image, and within that framework they can find their own element of truth.”

Pearson’s portfolio of mixed-media paintings is a proverbial open book of the artist’s mind. Each work features text that speaks for its subject.

“Sometimes the words bring clarity to the painting,” Pearson explains, “and sometimes it adds to the ambiguity of the image. Some artists reject the combination on the grounds that visual art should stand on its own without language. Others prefer to use words exclusively. In my case the interplay between the hand-painted words and images acts as an effective vehicle for communicating ideas.”

Her collection is further communicated in her new book, Off the Diving Board: The Narrative Paintings of Leslie Pearson. “I have wanted to publish a book of my artwork, which is narrative in nature, for some time now,” she describes. “When I was awarded a Regional Artist Project Grant in 2006/2007 from the North Carolina Arts Council, I was able to continue to produce work and start the book. It started out as more of a catalogue then grew into the 146-page book that it is today. I’m very excited to be able to share the things that inspired me to do many of the paintings and mixed-media works featured in the book.”

The book offers full-color pages showcasing Pearson’s stylish paintings with paragraphs introducing each work. A painting by Leslie Pearson is essentially a simple image or symbol done in either a wide palette or an edgy pairing of colors. Her work has a sharp dignity, seeming to hold a secret to life with each complex message.

“Closer and Closer,” a gritty image of birds on a telephone wire, shares the text style of a ransom note that spells out “getting closer and closer to the edge all the time.” The colors are the same as a dark bruise, with blues and blacks coexisting on the provocative canvas. The “bird on a wire” image is part of a large series that Pearson says symbolizes freedom and femininity.

“I have always been interested in the personal stories of people who have felt trapped, stifled, imprisoned, gripped with fear, caged and unable to live their lives the way they want,” she says, explaining that the paintings convey how the people eventually found freedom.

Pearson is also acutely aware of the Bible and how its stories seem to explain so many things about human nature and history. In her “Resonance and Relevance” chapter, paintings inspired by Biblical stories take center stage. “Naked Before the Fall” features Eve, sitting naked and exquisite with the infamous forbidden fruit in her hand. The chapter goes on to explain the fall of man that occurred after Adam and Eve ate the fruit and became aware of their nakedness. Pearson is clearly making a statement about how comfortable Eve felt in her own skin before her first moral dilemma darkened her innocence and freedom. She admits that she finds the stories somewhat personal, saying that some paintings “share a personal history and private reveries. Other works are general musings about love and relationships, and are often allegorical rather than literal.”

Off the Diving Board is a fascinating peek into the process of an artist unafraid to open her soul and share it with the world. Each chapter tells the story of a phase in Pearson’s artistic career, as well as a phase of her life.

“Using narrative as a counterpoint to imagery, my art explores life’s complexities and offers insight into the human condition, while primarily speaking through the experiences of women,” she says. “As I seek to understand myself and my role in this world, I look for parallels between my life and the lives of other people.”

Off the Diving Board, The Narrative Paintings of Leslie Pearson is available for sale ($29.99) through her blog at www.lesliepearson.blogspot.com or by contacting the artist at leslie@lesliekpearson.com.

Acme Artists Share Work in Downtown Wilmington Studio

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Acme exhibit to showcase diverse work of 22 artists

Star News , WIlmington, NC
April 11, 2008

By Isabel Heblich, Star-News Correspondent

Eccentric, prolific, beatnik and terrific, the work of Acme Art's 22 artists also is romantic, explicit, sarcastic and "inter-scholastic."

A spring cleaning of the soul, the fruits of a long gestating winter in Acme's studio building on Fifth Avenue in downtown Wilmington will be exhibited 1-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with a reception 6-9 p.m. Saturday.

Acme founder Dick Roberts, whom many pegged as an abstract painter until his recent photography show, unearths some dark, grotesque, comical collages from the early '90s. They spin strange fun-house narratives between antique lace, cut-up credit cards and spray-paint stencils of what looks like a freak-show fat-lady wrestler and a naive 1950s couple whose male-half has a criminal smile.

The little art-birdie, who whispers ideas around the old warehouse, covered its bases and brought painter MJ Cunningham to bat with large, abstract colorfills - "Dick and I kind of switched roles here," Cunningham said in a studio interview. Her three-piece series Analogous Red, Blue and Yellow, inspired by a class on the subject she is now teaching at Cape Fear Community College, is somewhere between observing curious cell-functions under a microscope and deciphering a primal tally system.

Artist Richard T. Wright creates innovations in perspective by drilling holes in the frames or shadowboxes of his glass collages, making intimate peep hole views into the nostalgic rhetoric of his life.

We see word play from new arrival Leslie Pearsons' pieces: a hyper-realist portrait paired with scrawling poetry like passing clouds through her recurring "bird on a wire" image. A Jasper Johns-style word collage repeats the block letters of "Blue" in red.

Photographer Arrow Ross contributed prints from his recent Acme show, documenting the Hindu and Buddhist sculptures from Thailand. The sharpness of shape in these super-saturated altars give them a supernatural, dizzyingly unreal fascination.

Groomed landscape painter Chappy Valente shows new strength and unexpected sensuality in watercolor and oil figurative painting.

Painter Pam Toll, master of sensualities, contributes collages and paintings that are, as they so consistently are, unspeakably beautiful encyclopedias of dreams of the heart.

New arrival sculptor Adrian Willis, contributes a minimalist, intellectual metal re-creation of a Kiss in 12 inches. The simple bent steel bars have a provocative effect changed by the reflective sphere heads, taking the minds of the kissers away from each other and into the brainy, skeptical world. "It's part of my four-letter word-series," Willis said in the studio. "There's a few others."

Artist Leslie Pearson Tells Stories Through Her Work

2009-06-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

Wilson Daily Times , Wilson, NC
October 9, 2008

"Tell Me a Story," the narrative paintings and mixed media artwork by Leslie Pearson, is on display at the Wilson Arts Center's First Gallery. The exhibit was moved from the Boykin Center after it was closed due to structural problems.

As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Visual artists have a long history of telling stories through paintings, drawings and photography. Looking back through old family photo albums and seeing a picture of someone blowing out their birthday candles can bring on a flood of memories that tell the story of that special day. So is the case with paintings in which one image can speak volumes.

Like traditional narrative painters who draw upon historical, mythological and literary materials for scenarios of action, Wilmington artist Leslie Pearson often gains inspiration for her paintings from poetry, music and literature -- particularly stories from the Bible.

"A lot of my work focuses on women and reflects the strength and perseverance they have obtained throughout their lives and personal spiritual journeys," Pearson said.

One of the featured pieces is "Phoenix Rising," a large-scale oil painting, rich with biblical references and symbolism. Legend has it that the phoenix is a sacred, mythical bird known for its strength and beauty.

As the end of its life approaches, the phoenix builds itself a nest, sets it on fire and is consumed by the flames. After three days, the phoenix is reborn and arises from the ashes stronger and more beautiful than before. The phoenix became popular in early Christian art and literature as a symbol of Christ and represents the resurrection, immortality and the promise of eternal life.

In the painting, a young woman looks heavenward as she emerges from a pile of ashes. Like the Phoenix, she has died to her former self and is reborn anew. This imagery is also a reference to 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Pearson takes her work a step further by adding hand-painted words or phrases.

"The use of text is a recurring element in my work. I often start a painting based around a word that has evoked a visual image for me. When I hear or read words, I get a picture in my head and then go from there," Pearson said.

In 2002, Pearson joined the Army as a photojournalist. About a year later she went totally deaf in her right ear as a result of permanent nerve damage and was medically discharged from the military.

"Not only was the experience a bit overwhelming," Pearson said, "it took a while to feel like myself again because I had to deal with headaches and vertigo -- symptoms other people couldn't see on the surface. Thankfully, these have since subsided.

"During that time of waiting and learning to come to terms with my disability, my art began to develop in a new way: I started incorporating more texture and words into my paintings and exploring new media. It was the worst time for me personally, however it was a catalyst for the kind of art I do now. Ever since my first series using text, my work has continued to transform on a conceptual level.

"Art is personal and subjective; there are no rules or boundaries, only freedom. My art has helped me find meaning in the midst of life's uncertainties and break free from perceived limitations. It transforms because it helps me transcend any situation. It's my voice; it's what I can offer to the world and I feel good about that," Pearson said.

"Tell Me A Story" will be on display at the Wilson Arts Center through Nov. 30. For more information, contact the Wilson Arts Council at 291-4329. Go to www.lesliekpearson.com to see more of Pearson's work.

Publications

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Select a publication or press article to read. Your selection will open in a new window.

Aesthetica Magazine, Creative Works Annual 2012, UK publication featuring 75 artists selected from 3,000 entries

Art Talk NOW!, Leslie Pearson: A True Experimental Artist, 8/18/2010

nc artblog, Bird by Bird at ACME Art Studios, 4/3/2010

Aesthetica Magazine, Creative Works Annual 2011, Judges Commendations page (over 4000 entries and only 40 finalists and 50 commended entries in each section: art, poetry, and fiction)

StarNews, Textile exhibit features various media exploring fiber art , 2/25/2010

Encore Magazine, A Stitch in Time, 2/23/2010

Fayetteville Observer, Grant Recipients' Works Shown, 7/03/2009

Encore Magazine, Masks of Nature, 5/27/2009

ArtSync Magazine, (PDF) Featured Artist Leslie Pearson, December 2008

Wilson Daily Times, Artist Leslie Pearson Tells Stories Through Her Work, 10/9/2008

Star News, Acme Exhibit to Showcase Diverse Work of 22 Artists, 4/11/2008

Encore Magazine, Leap of Faith, 3/6/2008 - 4/1/2008

The Fayetteville Observer, Biblical Stories Inspire Artist Pearson, 2/29/2008

Arts Council of Fayetteville Website, Pearson Unveils Show at Gallery 208, 1/24/2008

Up & Coming Weekly, Gallery 208 to Showcase Works of Leslie Pearson, 1/21-24/2008

MWR in Motion, Magazine, Throckmorton Library Art Exhibit, Spring Issue 2008

Cape Fear Artist Studios, Inc. Website, Resonance and Relevance, Feb.-March 2008

Daily American Republic, PB Native's Book Published, 2/24/2008

The Pilot, Passing Strange and Wonderful, 1/8/2008

Up & Coming Weekly, Circumstance and Change at Gallery 208, 2/13-19/2008

Up & Coming Weekly, 4th Friday Journey, 5/18-24/2005

Encore Magazine, Skin Deep, 12/19-25/2007

Davidson County Community College Website, DCCC Fall Art Exhibit, 8/24/2007

The Dispatch, Moments in Time, 8/23/2007

Davidson County Community College Website, Fall Art Exhibit Reception, 8/3/2007

City View Magazine, Artist to Soldier and Back Again, June/July 2007

Discover Fayetteville Magazine, Who We Are, 2006-2007 Edition

The Fayetteville Observer, Artist's Exhibit Is Anything But Square, 8/5/2006

Carolina Arts, Pearson Gallery Features Artwork of Leslie Pearson, March 2006

The Fayetteville Observer, Abstracts Require a Little Imagination, 8/5/2005

Carolina Arts, SFL+A Architect's Features Works by Leslie Pearson, August 2005

Up & Coming Weekly, Local Artist Leslie Pearson Debuts New Exhibit, 7/13-19/2005

The Art Fix, Issue 69, July 2005, (online at: www.theartfixinternational.org)

Absolute Arts, Indepth Arts News, Leslie Pearson: Along the Journey, 5/30/2005

The Fayetteville Observer, Art Group Celebrates the Power of Color, 11/12/2004

Standard Democrat, Art on Display, 9/12/2000

Southeast Missourian, The Drawing Room, 9/06/2000

The Southern Illinoisan, Red, Blue, Yellow on Display at SCC-Anna, 8/17/2000

Nightlife Magazine, Gallery Walk: Red, Yellow, Blue, 8/24/2000

Books and Exhibition Catalogs

2010 Rebel 53 Arts and Literary Publication, a publication of East Carolina University

2010 Pulp Culture, innovative works in paper - Exhibition Catalog

2010 Wildflowers, La Cultura della Biodiversity by Edward Bent, (Two of my encaustic paintings are included in the book, which is published in Italian and English)

2010 Materials and Methods Exhibition Catalog, (PDF) ACME Art Studios, Wilmington, NC

2008 Off the Diving Board, the Narrative Paintings of Leslie Pearson

2009 Rebel 52 Arts and Literary Publication, a publication of East Carolina University

2009 Graduate Arts Forum Catalog, East Carolina University

Her Mark 2006 Datebook, (PDF) Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL

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Videos

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The actual process of making my art is as important to me as the finished piece or series. Because of this, I have been documenting the processes in the form of time lapse videos. As I'm working, I set up my camera to fire a shot every 30 seconds. I find that this is the best way for me to reflect on and evaluate the creation of my work.

Each time lapse video has been output as a YouTube video. Please select a video to view, adjust your audio as necessary, and watch it in the highest quality (HQ) if you have a fast internet connection.

Action - Interaction:

Nasar:

Ties that Bind:

Prayer:

Toward Wholeness:

That Which is Empty May Be Filled:

Guardian Angel:

Emerging Surfaces #1:

Emerging Surfaces #2:

Emerging Surfaces #3 and #4:

Movement=Change=Growth (aka: Spiraling Wheel Banners):

We Made a World of Our Own:

Shadow Dancing:

Gallery

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Select a gallery to view.

Mixed Media Artwork
A medley of Paintings, Drawings, Textiles, and Sculpture

Leatherwork
Sculptural Wall Pieces, Wearable Masks, Journal Covers, Jewelry

About

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My work is an investigation into memory, identity formation, and the transformative value of communication. I use narrative therapy approaches such as letter writing, journaling, and story telling as a starting point to visually express both lived and imagined experiences. I create pieces in response to new challenges, environments and relationships. As a multimedia artist my material choices and processes vary with each new body of work.

The process of making things with my hands and exploring ideas and materials is often more significant to me than the art object itself. Repetitive handwork - be it stitching, sculpting, or writing, becomes a ritual and performance that I document in the form of time-lapse videos. By doing so, I ask the viewer to consider what went into the creation of each piece. I find that this voyeuristic look into my studio practice is the best way for me to reflect on and evaluate my work.

Biography

Education and Professional Experience

Exhibition History

Grants and Awards

Collections

Complete CV

2009-06-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

Art Talk NOW!

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Leslie Pearson: A True Experimental Artist
August 18, 2010
By Rick Austin, Art Talk NOW!

Leslie Pearson is currently a Wilmington, North Carolina Artist. She has agreed to do a series of interviews about her art, and the art process, as it is for her. This is the first. I feel her work is important because she is an experimental artist. It is through such work that new ideas in art are found.

1. First let me know exactly, what contact information you would want to share with our readers?

Leslie Pearson

Website: www.lesliekpearson.com

Email: leslie@lesliekpearson.com

2. How did you first get interested in art? Tell me also about your training and early projects?

I’ve always been interested in art. Even as a child I was more interested in drawing than I was in playing sports. I started getting praise for my artistic abilities by my parents and teachers, which felt good so I wanted to keep going with it. I took art classes as electives in JR High and High School. Then I decided to pursue it in college, mainly with the goal of honing my skills, learning new techniques, and preparing myself to teach art in the future. Early on I was focused on painting and drawing. The work I was doing after I graduated with my undergrad degree is defined by two major projects: the Scad Series and the "Red, Yellow, Blue" series. The Scad series went on for about three years. I was really absorbed in painting intertwining squares and rectangles. At the time, I was thinking a lot about relationships and how lives intertwine and overlap. I was interested in the butterfly effect, a metaphor that encapsulates the concept of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory. Basically, the idea that one small variance could eventually have a far-reaching ripple effect on subsequent events. I called the series Scad because the word scads means a large indefinite number or amount.

With the “Red, Yellow, Blue” series (18 pieces), I experimented with the interaction between color, shape and typography through an exercise in color recollection. In terms of design, the placing and spacing of the letters and words create a composition and the color seen in each piece is recognized by a visual memory or influenced identification from the viewer.

I used letters and words as lines and forms with contours, voids and shapes. Some forms are reinforced with a dark line to push and pull the background and foreground and to further create the illusion of depth on a two-dimensional surface. We are taught to identify colors with their correlating “word”. I chose to work with the basic three primary colors: red, blue and yellow. We recognize colors and words and associate them with certain feelings like rage, love, hate, and purity. So, I wondered what emotions, if any, would be evoked in seeing the word paired up with another color. This is how I arrived at the titles for the work…Blue/Red, Yellow/Blue, and Red/Yellow, etc.

"Yellow Blue", 22" x 28", Spray paint, charcoal, acrylic on paper

From there I went on to do several other series including Newcastle Architecture, and KCMO, Searching for Self. The elements that can be identified as unifying qualities in these pieces are the use of line (lines in themselves, lines forming shapes…especially squares, and lines creating balance and composition); the use of color; and the autobiographical nature behind the conceptual thought (my experiences in life inform my artwork).

I’m naturally curious and experimental so over the years I’ve continued to expand my studio practices to include everything from printmaking, screen printing, leather forming, and sculptural fiber based work.

I received my formal training at Southeast Missouri State University in 1998, where I concentrated in painting and drawing. During that time, I also worked as an art teacher at a Christian school in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and was doing an internship at the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. I became heavily involved in community arts programming and after graduation, I was hired as the Assistant Director. I wore several hats at the Arts Council including acting as a co-curator for our gallery spaces. Eventually, I decided to move to England and pursue a master’s degree in Museum Studies at Newcastle University. Through several twists and turns along my life’s path, I now find myself back in school pursuing a second master’s degree. I’m currently working on my MFA in the textile program at East Carolina University’s School of Art and Design in Greenville, NC. While there I have assisted in teaching a distance education class in color and design, and this semester I'm teaching a textile class on campus.

3. Who were your early models of inspiration in art? Tell me about them?

I suppose my early models of inspiration in art were 20th century modern and contemporary artists such as Jasper Johns, Ed Rusha, Barbara Kruger and Jenny Holzer for their use of text; Marc Rothko and Helen Frankenthaler’s use of color and Robert Rauchenberg’s use of found objects and his effort to break away from the traditional idea of picture space.

4. As you continued to grow in art, what mediums did you use, what tools? Talk about what these materials and tools really are, what they consist of, how you used them?

In the last couple of years I’ve started to work with leather. I started making leather masks for fun, and although the conceptual thought behind the mask making doesn’t necessarily relate to the rest of my work, I do enjoy the sculptural qualities of the leather and have been able to incorporate its use in some of my projects in a more relevant way. When I’m using leather for bookmaking, I always make my own patterns, then stain it and stitch it by hand. I feel more connected to the work when I do all the steps and process myself. Some of the tools I use regularly for this are a small drill, an awl, a large sewing needle, pliers, waxed linen thread, xacto knives, and a drimmel.

5. Along these same lines, take me through a project you have done, step by step.

The physical process of creative expression is an important aspect to my work. I have made it a habit of documenting the progress of new pieces with photos and videos. I write a blog where I post images of work in progress and finished pieces and write about the journey. Within the last year, I have started making pieces that have more than one component and take more time to complete. An installation, for example, can take months to complete. One of my most recent pieces, is made of several components including wet felted wool (acid dyed), with needle felting, and digitally printed fabric (machine stitched), and video. The dimensions of the installation are variable, but are about 100″ tall, 76″ wide, and 60″ deep.

“Ties that Bind” started to take form, cognitively, when I was given a journal that my dad kept during the last two months of his life. As I read the words on the pages, my mind flashed with memories of him. I remembered seeing the same marks in the ledgers he kept of his collections, the lists he made, and even on my grade school report cards.

It occurred to me that everyone has ties to a personal history that goes back for generations, and even in nature, countless offshoots can develop from one central, mother root.

Although “Ties that Bind” has a visceral feel, not only in the way the forms make reference to the internal body and emotions, but also in the intuitive way it developed in the studio, I wasn’t trying to express any literal representation. Many viewers may identify the spheres as cellular, and the central form as a spine or womb, however, I like to think of them as “descendants” or “offshoots”, something that branches out or derives its existence or origin from a particular source.
The circular forms symbolize infinity, the circle of life, wholeness, a cycle of seasons, and the continuation of something. In this case, they also suggest the organic and regenerative nature of familial relationships. These relationships are the most dynamic and often, the most volatile that a person is involved in. They are sometimes nurturing, often dysfunctional, but undeniably part of everyone’s genetic makeup.

The use of text is a recurring element in my work. Aesthetically, I use it to incorporate visual texture, but it is also a way to add personal narrative and content to the work. It is believed that that specific stroke structures relate to the personality traits and emotional energy of the writer. Handwritten letters have a personal and nostalgic feeling, especially in the current age of emails and text messages.

I incorporated the journal entries and the many letters that my mother wrote me while I was in college and in the Army. The letters from my mom are all full of encouragement. I am amazed at the confidence they placed in me. The letters and journal entries were digitally printed onto distressed, sheer fabric and machine stitched in the same colors of the spheres; this forms the backbone of the piece that everything else stems from.

6. You mentioned themes in your work, each piece having a deeper meaning to you. Tell me about this in one or two of your earlier works. Tell me what you did in these works to express that meaning?

One of my pieces called “Timshel (Thou Mayest)”, is currently in an exhibit called “Abstraction and Beyond” at the Center for Faith and the Arts in Salisbury, NC.

"Timshel, (Thou Mayest)", Oil paint on gessoed paper and canvas, 25" x 12", Diptych, 2006

With “Timshel”, I explored the Yin/Yang element of human nature. The concept of this ancient Chinese philosophy claims that there are two primal, opposing but complementary forces found in all things. No one thing is completely Yin or completely Yang; each contains the seed of its opposite. As a diptych, Timshel reflects this idea in its two parts; one being predominately black and one being predominately white. This color reference represents the duality of good and evil that exists in the heart of man. While this will always be an internal struggle, there is hope in knowing that God gives people the strength to overcome sin if they choose to do so.

This powerful lesson is best illustrated in the following excerpt from John Steinbeck’s literary masterpiece, East of Eden, in which we see the biblical story of Cain and Abel retold in the lives of two generations of Salinas Valley families:

[Lee said,] “The King James Version [of The Bible] says this — it is when Jehovah has asked Cain why he is angry. Jehovah says, ‘If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.’ It was the ‘thou shalt’ that struck me, because it was a promise that Cain would conquer sin.”

Samuel nodded. “And his children didn’t do it entirely,” he said.

Lee sipped his coffee. “Then I got a copy of the American Standard Bible. And it was different in this passage. It says, ‘Do thou rule over him.’ Now this is very different. This is not a promise, it is an order. And I began to stew about it. I wondered what the original word of the original writer had been that these very different translations could be made …

“My [elders] felt that these words were very important too — ‘Thou shalt’ and ‘Do thou.’ And this was the gold from our mining: ‘Thou mayest.’ ‘Thou mayest rule over sin.’ …

“The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou shalt,’ meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel — ‘Thou mayest’ — that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’ — it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.’ …

“Now, there are millions in their sects and churches who feel the order, ‘Do thou,’ and throw their weight into obedience. And there are millions more who feel predestination in ‘Thou shalt.’ Nothing they may do can interfere with what will be. But ‘Thou mayest’! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win.”

7. I have noticed, you are a very experimental artist. Tell me what drives you to be that way? What makes you tick?

I’m a naturally curious person and I love to brainstorm and problem solve. This idiosyncrasy has been advantageous for me in terms of my studio practices because I’m constantly pushing myself to learn how to use new materials and I’m open to experimentation. Sometimes it’s very frustrating, especially when I can’t figure something out, but if and when I do, it’s extremely rewarding. As an educator, it’s important to be knowledgeable in as many areas of technique as possible. This allows me to help my students find the best possible solutions in their own work.

8. At this point, is there any special message you would like to share with our readers?

Being an artist is such a solitary endeavor. An artist has to be alone with their thoughts to mentally work through ideas and make those ideas come to fruition. It’s hard to work and focus with others around creating distractions. On the other hand, it’s my personal belief as a Christian that people and relationships are the most important thing in this life. So it’s a balancing act to be disciplined in my studio practices without becoming totally myopic and self-centered. What I try to do is use my art as a means of communicating with other people. I want my art to engage people and evoke personal reflection. I also feel like being an artist is what I’m truly meant to be doing with my life because I’m passionate about it, so I want to glorify God with what I do. I try to do that by staying true to myself and continually working to be successful.

Look for more interviews with Leslie in the months to come.

Enjoy, Rick.