a blog by Leslie A. Macfarlane
recent posts
autumn, trees, and atlanta
This has been a beautiful Utah fall for me to enjoy while walking my dog each day. It’s gotten me thinking about autumns of years past, and recalling my time living in Atlanta after college. Before that, back when I was studying at BYU, the grad student from Georgia who was teaching my German class…
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upcoming debut at the Utah Art Market
I received notice a few weeks ago that I have been accepted to participate in this year’s Holiday Utah Art Market December 3-6 at the Town and Country Plaza in Millcreek, Utah. Participating in this market is an honor, and I hope to put my best foot forward. Taking lessons I learned from the Beehive…
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expanding my portfolio
I’ve been expanding my portfolio with these pieces meant for tabletop display, which are available in two sizes: 5×7 and 6×8 inches. I initially experimented with using amber glass instead of clear in these pieces, but eventually gravitated back to clear glass. I just love it! If you want a bit of decor on a…
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reaching
The central concept behind “Reaching” is to illustrate a long-term process of reaching for something higher — for help from a higher being, and for a higher version of yourself. Finding a way to express that concept beautifully in stained glass feels like a substantial achievement. The time spent in the design stage alone for…
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the business card art show at the JKR Gallery
In September I will be participating in the annual Business Card Art show at the JKR Gallery in Provo, Utah. For this show, each accepted artist can display up to 10 artworks that are the size of a business card: 2 x 3.5 inches. I enjoyed designing and assembling my 10 pieces, and am excited…
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in returning and rest
The title for this piece comes from a scripture that stood out to me recently: “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength,” Isaiah 30:15. From the beginning this piece has had a feeling of safety and of being at home for me, so the scriptural…
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working on something fun
A long-lasting arm injury has really slowed down my art production in the past year. As frustrating as it has been, I have a hunch that slowing down so much might have some payoffs. My ideas for the painting I’m working on definitely developed as I inched from one step to the next at a…
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anchored
I’ve been dwelling a lot lately on the idea of being anchored, along with what it means to “belong to yourself” like Brene Brown talks about in her book, Braving the Wilderness. When this image first came into my mind, the woman was holding something in her hands. As it developed, though, I realized all…
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exploring Adobe Illustrator
I wanted to get to know this software a little bit so I signed up for a free trial and spent some time exploring.
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shining a little light
This piece was inspired by a colorful little desk lamp that I have. For three months last fall I was staying in a friend’s spare bedroom while I waited to get into a place of my own. It was wonderful to have a place to stay, but the feeling that it wasn’t really my home…
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copy of Woman in Black
This is my copy of Gabriele Munter’s painting, Woman in Black. Something that drew me to this piece was how there seemed to be a softness in the eyes, even though they’re kind of just blobs of black paint. I wanted to learn how Munter could capture something as refined as a soft look in…
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small potted plant
This piece was inspired by a small potted plant I keep in my art room. I love the pronounced lean to the left. Many of the livelier elements here weren’t part of my original plan, but developed as I painted. I love it when paintings grow that way. Oil on panel, 5×7 inches.
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no room to work
My latest piece was inspired by my own desk at home, which didn’t take long to evolve from a work surface to a storage surface. There’s never enough room.
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flowers in a blue vase
It was a relief to get back to painting after a brief break for garden work and puppy raising. This piece was inspired by a floral arrangement I put together last fall. (I love the flower section at the craft store.) The colors of the flowers here closely resemble the colors in my original arrangement,…
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about me
In the fall of 2018 I started devoting time to drawing and painting, which set me on a path I couldn’t have imagined for myself. I currently work exclusively in stained glass. I have studied with the JKR Studio Academy and with Holdman Studios and Glass Art Institute.
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abstract art acrylics adobe illustrator apricot art art school art show atlanta autumn canvas charcoal chives copy crabapple drawing fall figurative art floral flowers garden geometric glass art graphite hardboard herbs illustration ink iron chlorosis landscape mountains oil paints oil pastels painting pan pastels paper paperbark maple pastel pencil perennial plum raspberry slobodkin stained glass still life trees watercolor
mind and heart 