the artist

Artists statement. Leslie Parker’s artistic practice uses bold, saturated hues and defined boundaries to capture the play between the architectural built environment and the natural greenery and plant life within urban Toronto. Her chosen subjects, ranging from streetscapes and graffiti covered back laneways to city home interiors and still lifes, take on a captivating life of their own on the canvas. These everyday scenes weave a narrative of the contemporary urban experience - introspective and occasionally solitary, yet simultaneously vibrant, creative and sometimes joyful. Purposefully employing exaggerated light and shadow, along with meticulous attention to contrast, colour, and composition, Parker transforms these mundane urban scenes, often unnoticed by the busy city dweller, into evocative settings teeming with life and colour.

Biography. My artistic journey began with a childhood passion for drawing and painting during which period I was taught the fundamentals of painting by a professionally trained artist and mentor. In my adult years, I worked for many years as an architect, but eventually art also beckoned me back.These days I balance my art practice alongside my architectural career, and have exhibited in numerous group gallery shows throughout Ontario as well as local art fairs such as the Riverdale ArtWalk and the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair. Based in Toronto, I work exclusively in oil paints, fascinated with their rich color palettes and thick paint applications. I am also a roster artist at The Jackalope Gallery at 1558 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON.