Lesli Marshall – Interiority Complex Certified ART-iculation Therapist

Lesli Marshall, Artist & Interiority Complex Certified ARTiculation Therapist

“PICASSO WAS RIGHT WHEN HE SAID, ‘DON’T GIVE IN TO WHAT OTHERS FEEL IS RIGHT FOR YOU – DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY AND SEE HOW MUCH SUCCESS YOU GAIN.’ ” GROWING UP I KNEW THAT I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING I LOVED AND THAT I FELT PASSIONATE ABOUT. ART GIVES ME THAT CHANCE.” – Lesli Marshall

Lesli has not let the worry of others stray her from her dreams. She knows that with hard work and determination she will enjoy a career that provides passion and that she will enjoy waking up to every day. She was raised in Grapevine, Texas and graduated from Colleyville Heritage High School. After receiving her Associates of Arts Degree from Brookhaven College, she went on to get her Bachelors of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Texas. Art was where her heart was leading her but her critics were concerned that this path might guide her to a life as a “starving artist”.

In college, Lesli began painting as a hobby in her free time. Through her creative use of mixed media— oils, acrylics and compressed charcoal she portrays her emotions on canvas. Some of her inspiration comes from an artist known as Jean-Michel Basquiat, a pop artist popular during the time of Andy Warhol. After studying about Basquiat in school, Lesli created paintings that were abstract in nature, but also made a strong statement. She would give away her paintings to friends and family members
to hang in their homes or as gifts. “It never occurred to me that painting as a hobby would lead me down a path to success in an artistic career that I love,” she said. “A local restaurant allowed me to hang my paintings to decorate their space. Customers started asking about my work and they began to purchase my pieces that were on display. I was shocked. I could not have imagined that people would want to buy them nor did I know that this was just the beginning of something more.”

The sales continued and she began receiving commissioned requests for homes and businesses. These sales allowed Lesli to pay her tuition herself while working her way through college. Although she was close to graduating from college, Lesli was still considering what direction to take with her career. She thought about advertising, graphic design and even set design for commercials and television shows. “None of these jobs were really what I truly wanted to do. My passion was painting. Being creative was what I wanted,” she said. “After graduation I landed a job as a Commercial Art Consultant in Dallas. I loved the job.” She learned very quickly that this position was something she could be passionate about. Her hard work had paid off. Working for someone else eventually had its drawbacks and as an artist she was unable to use her own creativity to the extent that she desired. Lesli took a leap of faith and started her own business, Articulation Art.

She is now proud to offer her “ART iculation Therapy” services to Interiority Complex “patients”.  Her services include: professional presentations using floor plans and budgets, acquiring artwork that serves the clients taste and style, custom framing and art installation. “Starting my own business has benefited me in so many ways. Most importantly, I am able to do exactly what I love to do.”

Along with her business, Lesli also still creates art that she loves. Mixed media pieces with plenty of heavy texture and color are her main forte. Along with being a conversation piece, the paintings tend to portray ideas of society and human existence. The idea that we are all caught in a societal web that keeps us from becoming who we are meant to be. Her latest series documents the loss of human interaction and the triumph of technology replacing face to face communication. One piece titled Born Uncensored is a dark depiction of a pile of babies faces as if filling a landfill and a stork like figure standing above them with free flowing feathers holding a laptop in its mouth. Born Uncensored is the idea that there is no childhood left in our society, that our children have lost the innocence of life. The strength in Lesli’s paintings show through heavy handed markings and bold statements along with color use and a wide range of materials. Mixed media seems to be the perfect outlet for her creativeness.
Lesli is looking forward to moving closer to being a full time artist. “It is my dream to one day have my own studio and be able to wake up every morning and create…isn’t that what life is all about.”

PABLO PICASSO ONCE HAD THIS EXPRESSION,
“MY MOTHER SAID TO ME, ‘IF YOU ARE A SOLDIER
YOU WILL BECOME A GENERAL. IF YOU ARE A MONK
YOU WILL BECOME THE POPE.’ INSTEAD,
I WAS A PAINTER AND I BECAME PICASSO.”

To schedule an ART-iculation Therapy Session with Lesli or to learn more, just click here.