Leslie Blackwell

Inspired by the watercolour landscape traditions

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Leslie Blackwell has lived in Ottawa most of her life, drawing and painting since childhood. A deep love of nature and the outdoors has inspired her work throughout.

Leslie completed a B.A.(Honours) in Art History from Carleton University, and then went on to train as an art teacher. Her art background informed her teaching throughout. Along with her studies in Art History, Leslie has taken numerous studio courses in various media.

Her work is informed by her love of watercolour painting in particular, and is inspired by the landscape traditions of that medium. She often works outdoors, responding to atmospheric conditions and light in all seasons. Leslie begins with a pencil drawing and value studies and then completes a painting using loose brushwork and layers of transparent colour.

Her work has been exhibited in several juried exhibitions, such as Art Lending of Ottawa, the Mayor’s Art Festival (2005) and For the Love of the Farm (2012). She has shown her work in the Chelsea-Wakefield Studio Tour (2024) and is a member of the Foyer Gallery in Ottawa as well as Arts Carleton Place.

An enduring passion for Leslie is expressed in her deep attachment to the Gatineau hills, where her family has had a cottage for over forty years. Painting and sketching from the roadside or a boat are favourites. She is drawn to the green spaces of our region, responding to the emotional effects of light and colour in nature.

Website: leslieblackwell.ca