“Art leaves us on a search– within the world, within the work, within ourselves.”
ABOUT ME A childhood home filled with original art, thanks to two creative grandmothers who discovered their talents with a brush late in life, fostered in me early on an appreciation for original artistic expression. It wasn’t long before I was drawing all over my bedroom walls in permanent marker. I went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History with a minor in Studio Art ( Painting concentration ) at the University of North Florida. I also later studied Interior Design, another passion and one that has helped me hone my eye for color and composition.
Through the following years, my studio practice was put aside for “real world” jobs in the art & design industry including work for a photography and fine art licensing company, an interior furnishings company and most recently, for a large art gallery and consulting firm. Five years ago, my new husband and I left my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida to pursue our dream of traveling through the Northwest. It was during this traveling adventure that I began writing the Artsy Forager blog, dipping my toes into occasional painting pools, but it wasn’t until early 2014 that I began to diligently pursue a renewal of my own artistic practice and passion. Our traveling has taken us from the deserts of California, to Seattle, the mountains of Idaho, and all sorts of amazing places in between. Our adventures continually inspire and inform my work and as my creative confidence grows, I hope to visually voice their influence more and more.
ABOUT ARTSY FORAGER As a lifelong lover and student of the visual arts, I created this blog, Artsy Forager, as a way to showcase some of the amazing artwork and artists that I am meeting both virtually and face to face every day. Since its beginning in March 2011, the blog has undergone changes in style and direction, as I’ve been figuring out who I am, what I’m most driven to share. Most recently, the focus of Artsy Forager has shifted from the work of other artists to my own. It has become my travel journal of sorts– a place to share where I’ve been and where I hope I’m going artistically.
ABOUT FORAGER SERVICES In the summer of 2013, I decided to put my Forager’s eye, skills, and experiences to work and launched Forager Services. FS assists artists, gallery owners, interior designers, art consultants and other artsy folk by offering services to help with writing and editing, website consultation, art curation & consultation, and social media management. You can find information for each of these services here, rates are available upon request, just email me at lesley[at]artsyforager.com.