Lesley Thiel is a self taught figurative artist known for her highly detailed photorealistic paintings. Working in oils, her pieces focus on narrative portraiture. She dresses her models – usually children – in imitations of the ruffs and collars of bygone ages, or headdresses of dead flowers and branches. Her paintings contain imagery designed to tell a story of the fate of our species and of our relationship to the earth. They include feathers, flowers, and animals as a sign of hope for our collective future. They speak of the strength of the upcoming generation of young women and girls, who may well be our saviors. They question the accepted narrative of the female voice in society and the myths attached to this. Her paintings have been included in numerous exhibitions, and are represented in collections throughout the world. Several pieces of her art were displayed at Terminal 5 Heathrow Airport as part of an exhibition to welcome visitors to the UK during the 2102 Olympics. She received a Certificate of Excellence from the Portrait Society of America in 2015, and a Staff Award from the Art Renewal Center in 2018. She was born in England, but has spent much of her life in Europe and in the United States. She now lives and works in North Carolina.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 14th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.