ABOUT — Leslie Helen Creative

I’m Leslie Colwin.

I create art that is organic and full of movement and life.

MY ART IS A LITTLE VINTAGE, YET MODERN. CLASSIC, YET PLAYFUL.

When I create, it’s with welcoming spaces in mind. As my art and designs grace the spaces people dwell in, I hope their home’s walls and fabrics will remind them of all the beauty there is in the world. In a time when we can feel overwhelmed with loss or difficult news, it's important to me to keep that in balance with the fact that there is beauty and hope all around us.

Scroll down to see my current Pattern Look Book.

I love being awed in nature. And so inspiration comes from my own garden (pictured here) and my encounters with beautiful scenes from outdoor exploration and travel.

I THINK IT FEELS MAGICAL TO BE UNDER A CANOPY OF TREES OR IN A WINDING GARDEN.

These are the things I notice around me and so they naturally come out in my art.

BACKGROUND: I grew up in the middle of fields and pastures on a small Ohio family farm and now live in the eclectic Madison, Wisconsin area with my husband and three kids.

As a kid, I taped up my creations all over our family home. I carried on to study art and design at university. From graphic design experience to illustrating children’s books, and even teaching art to a wide range of students in a classroom setting, making and sharing art has always been a part of my life.

More recently I have learned the art of creating repeat patterns from Rachelle Holowko of Pattern and Design and am excited to be on this journey of Surface Design.

WHERE I’M HEADED: I am looking for collaborations with interior designers. I’d love to put our creativity together to make beautiful, welcoming spaces.

I am also looking for collaborations with like-minded companies that are concerned with their impact, both on the environment and even more dear to my heart, on the lives of their workers... paying fair wages so people can support their families and grow strong, healthy, free lives.