Leslie studied at Norwich School of Art and West of England College of Art (now both universities) graduating in Sculpture.
It was in 2000, after 20 years in Ceramics, that a visit to Crest, Cromer’s twin town in southern France, prompted her to return to her first love, painting. Crest is encircled by what in winter can be the raging river Drome, the streets and buildings carved out of the high rocky promontory that had once been under the sea. Cromer, with its sea carved beaches, town of red tiled cottages made with flints washed onto the seashore, and its soft sandy cliffs, is still battling with that sea.
Leslie now paints, from the 1870s railway carriage in her garden, oil and acrylic studies of her beloved North Norfolk (she can trace her family back to the 16th century in North Norfolk, her father a keeper at Cromer Lighthouse, her great Grandfather a crewman on the lifeboat “Louisa Heartwell”) – delighting in light bouncing off rough or calm seas of Cromer or its wide sandy beaches. She adores the sun rippled beech trees of Felbrigg’s Great Wood and the wonderful vistas from the heights of Sheringham Park. Sunlight defining the space we live in. Sunlight giving hope and sustenance.
She still is entranced by North Norfolk's cliffs that show how the earth beneath our feet was formed BUT now delights in the huge angular rocks put down as defence against the sea three years ago, for the winter storms have worn down the sharp edges of those black rocks and bruised them into soft pastel colours
She delights in the beauty of colour in the sky, seas and shores of Cromer and north Norfolk
She exhibits at all of NOVA’s (North Norfolk Organisation for Visual Artists} exhibitions and every spring takes part in Open Studios, despite being thwacked by Rheumatoid, and now Osteo Arthritis! Her work can also be found in Canada, Spain, France, Germany and Austria.