Fascinated with batik, Leslie’s goal was to take this Asian art form to create sporting art. She had many opportunities to closely observe horses in different settings, from working in an equine hospital, to riding jumpers and fox hunting. She learned the batik technique from Saihou Njie, a renowned Gambian fiber artist. The ancient Batik method involves painting a design on a cotton or silk cloth, with hot wax. The waxed areas resist the dye and retain the original color producing a painting. Often the wax cracks seeping the dye creating the irregular lines indicative of batiks. Leslie also paints oils. As a juried member of the American Academy of Equine Art, her artwork competes in their annual shows.
