Grace Schlesier

“My brush strokes are my words, my way of communicating joy to a busy world. I’ve always enjoyed the out of doors, so quite naturally I often paint on location.  I hope that by bringing these paintings of God’s beauty into your home, it provides a quiet time, a time of Peace in a very complex world. 

     A move from NY to S. California in the early 60’s provided the artist close proximity to the rural backcountry, the oceans, lagoons and the quaint homes with abundant gardens.  All of this, combined with ideal weather enables Grace to paint on location year round. She enjoys exploring the coastal areas, the lagoons and the high mountain country.  She says she’s lucky to be able to explore new places, as well as rediscovering the old and painting them in a new light.  Blessed to be able to explore many distant places of the world, she brings new insight into her work.

      She says, “I’ve always been fascinated by weather, the way light changes everything and the many moods of Nature.  I want to bring that special time to the viewer.”  Often, Schlesier will spend hours finding just the right colors and composition and movement to convey a moment in time to her viewers.  She says, it is her job to be in the wind and weather, so you can sit back in the luxury of your living room and enjoy the view!
Schlesier studied at Art Students League, NY and Scottsdale Artists School of Arizona.  A student of Nature, Schlesier’s work continues to mature and grow.  Painting professionally for over thirty years and exhibiting in some of the most prestigious exhibits in the US and Europe.  Signature membership in American Impressionist Society and National Academy of Professional Plein Air Painters rounds out her career.  In addition she is a member in Oil Painters of America, American Artist Professional League and National League of American Pen Women.

    Selected juried shows are Oil Painters of America, National/Regional; Arts for the Parks; Peppertree; show in Florence, Italy; Catharine Lorillard Wolfe and the Amsterdam Whitney in NYC.  She has done Plein Air events in Carmel, Tucson, Borrego Springs and La Quinta, CA.

     Winning Top 100 with her painting “Light and Shadow” in their Landscape competition and being named a Finalist in International Magazines-  Sea, Rivers and Lake competition in 2008 and 2009 are a couple recent awards.

     Museum shows include the Phippen and Wickenburg in Arizona, Springville in Utah; and the Museum of San Diego History.  Two of Schlesier’s paintings are in the permanent collection of the Olaf Weighorst Museum of El Cajon, CA.

       Publications include a coffee table books titled, “Art of the American West”. International Artists Magazine included her work in their sold out publication of” How Did You Paint That? – 100 Ways to Paint the Landscape”.  Schlesier is also listed in “The Artist Bluebook, “AskArt.com and “Hometown Heroes”.  She’s been featured in Southwest Art about artists who travel (trip to Tahiti – Jan 06); “The Artist” magazine in July 99; “Skywest”, United airlines in-flight magazine used her painting “Return of the Swallows” on their cover and did a feature story in 07; Passport Magazine and Plein Air Magazine also ran feature stories about the artist.