An introduction to artist Mr Les.
Les was born in 1944 and grew up in Auckland NZ.
From an early age Les has enjoyed drawing and during his childhood he used his absorption in his drawing to escape from the tensions in his home as his father’s alcoholism escalated over the years.
At about seven years of age his primary school was replacing the old style desks with the sloping lid, ink well, and attached seat with flip seat. Les’ father was able to purchase one for Les’ bedroom. Les loved the enclosed space formed by the seat attached to the desk, creating his own contained space which helped create the separate reality emerging under the drawing pencil, then nib pen and Indian ink. The desk hung from the wall under the south facing window in his current studio has a sloping lid reminiscent of his childhood desk.
Les has explored a number of artistic mediums apart from drawing and painting, these include lithography, batik (read more), mortar carving and tattoo.
Les trained as a primary school teacher in the Art section at Epsom Training College in the early sixties. He has exhibited at the Quarry Art Centre in Whangarei and the Moase Gallery in Tutukaka.