About Leslie

Leslie Bosak is a Canadian artist whose work is shaped by a lifelong connection with nature, animals, and the places she has called home. Her paintings explore the relationship between nature, memory, and human experience, revealing moments of presence, connection, and belonging within a living world.

Growing up in the 1980s near the mountains, Leslie found her greatest sense of freedom spending time with her family at the lake. The mountains, forests, and wildlife of the region became part of her understanding of the natural world. Surrounded by a landscape where wild creatures belonged, Leslie felt at home too, in nature and in herself.

Throughout her childhood, Leslie’s world was filled with animal companions, outdoor adventures, movement, and creative exploration. Dance became a lifelong passion, nurturing her sense of expression, while later creative practices such as sewing and quilting developed her appreciation for colour, pattern, and the process of making. Her parents valued art, antique furniture, and objects with history, surrounding their home with pieces chosen for their character and individuality.

Although making and creative exploration had always found a place in Leslie’s life, painting became meaningful in a much deeper way as time went on.

She took her first serious watercolour class, to help her through a difficult time in her life. As colour moved across the page and unexpected patterns emerged, she discovered a new way to process emotion and reconnect with herself.

During her university years, an art history course opened her eyes to the emotional language of colour, light, and symbolism. Later in her journey, Leslie returned to art history and rediscovered the stories, ideas, and human experiences held within works of art.

These experiences marked the beginning of a lasting relationship with painting.

Later, Leslie travelled and met her future husband. She moved to Germany, where she became a mother and built a life far from her Canadian roots. Immersed in a new language, culture, and way of life, she experienced the challenge of finding her place while being separated from the familiar landscapes, relationships, and sense of belonging she had known.

Over time, this distance from what was familiar changed the way she experienced the world around her. Nature became a place of connection and reflection, allowing her to return to herself and feel part of something larger.

This journey eventually led Leslie back to painting. She studied at the Milan Art Institute, became a professional artist, and began painting full time.

Today, Leslie creates layered mixed media paintings using collage, inks, acrylic washes, and oils. Her atmospheric works bring together women, animals, and elements of nature to express the deep connection and belonging shared within the living world, reflecting themes of identity, resilience, and connection.

Her studio is located in her country home, surrounded by trees, fields, wildlife, and farm animals, a place where daily life and the natural world continue to inspire and shape her work.