It is Keizer Art Association's privilege and distinct pleasure to recognize Leslie Born as our Artist of the month. Leslie is an accomplished and recognized artist who enjoys colored pencil art.

The inspiration for Leslie's work stems from her lifelong compassion for animals. Some of her earliest memories date back to kindergarten when she would draw cards for family and friends. With the encouragement of her sixth grade teacher Mrs. Kelly, whom she is still in touch with, she branched out to other subjects and took up caricature drawing in high school. One of her teachers was amused at the drawing of her, giving a slight smile, however she put an abrupt end to the fun.

She took a break from her artistic endeavors to raise two children. She was able to return to it when she and her husband moved to a picturesque log cabin on Whidbey Island. Once settled in, she quickly joined a local art group, gaining inspiration from her new small farm. A tradition began for her to draw the family Christmas card using nature and her animals as subjects. She remained a part of that group for nearly 20 years, displaying her work at various fairs and events.

Like her family and nature, from which she draw's much inspiration, her work continues to evolve and grow.

You can see Leslie's's art in the KAA Gallery throughout the month of August.