Sam by Leslie Freeman

I work in order to explore, through creative processes, a theme, gesture, or narrative that captures my attention. Most often I draw these ideas from the world around me - a couple sharing secrets at the lunch counter, students conversing before a lecture or the way the lines of a barn interact with the trees and rocks that surround it. Usually they are small ideas, such as the movement of a hand or the intersection of a man-made line with an organic shape, that seem indicative of a larger narrative. Through creating a piece based on such an idea, I strive to both broaden my understanding and to stimulate the viewer to make their own explorations.

I continually develop processes for creating work that help me to analyze my subject through the choices I will have to make through the choice of materials and method of application. For example, when I wanted to do a piece that addressed the way a place changes as it evolves though our memories, I devised a multi step process that began with observational sketches in a real place through several stages of abstraction to create a finished work. In that way my process of materials and technique was working as an analog to the mental process I was exploring. As the finished work embodies my process, it also prompts the viewer explore their ideas in a parallel fashion.

Recently, my work has focused on examining the deeper narratives expressed by ordinary gestures in everyday settings. I record gestures that I witness at lunch, waiting in line or in almost any common situation. I try to reduce these gestures to their fundamental characteristics and then reinterpret them through the use of cloth, paint and charcoal. I find that the use of fabric gives a life-like dimension, richness and expression to the figure that I cannot produce with other materials. By cutting, stretching, folding and ripping the material, I instill an energy that is conveyed directly to the viewer. The painterly application of traditional materials

I split my time growing up between Seattle, Washington. and Bend, Oregon. Spending time in Seattle gave me a great taste for the vibrant nature of the city, while Central Oregon gave me ample opportunity to explore the outdoors and discover my passions.

Beacuse of my supportive family, I was able to star taking college level courses when I was 12 years old and enrolled full time at the age of 16. That was when I took my first art classes, Drawing I and Figure Drawing (for which I had to special permission due to my age). I didn't know at first that I wanted to pursue a life in art, just that I enjoyed drawing and painting.

After changing direction in school a few times (math, computer science, graphic design), spending some time abroad living in Italy and doing everything from coaching snowboarding to designing web sites, I realized that art is really where my passion lay.

It seems that no matter where life has taken me, I keep finding myself drawn back to painting. While I enjoy hiking, biking and being outdoors and find a lot of satisfaction in working with technology, creating art engages me both intellectually and physically in a way that nothing else does.