People (and galleries) are asking me... "Why, Lesley, when equestrian paintings have brought you so much notoriety and prestige (not to mantion cash-ola) would you start painting more figures, when you don't even have a market for them?" The answer is not simple, but as I develop and mature, as a person and as an artist, I find I wish to be more expressive in my work. I wish to weave something of the essence of the moment, or of the wonderful person sitting before me, into my work. Why are figures affording me more of an opportunity to be expressive? Well, for a start, I know a lot more about being a human than I know about being a horse. (I know some people who have the opposite traits... please forgive me for saying so.) Although, when I was a little girl I used to gallop, rather than simply walk or run around the countryside. I even tried eating grass once or twice... Ugh. Anyway, some wonderful artist friends and I (particularly Mike Stratton, Howie Doyle, Liz Hill and the Woodlands Saturday morning painters at Studio in the Woods) had a "Just Figures Art Crawl" the weekend of the 3, 4, 5. My work was primarily at Lampros Gallery. The content of the show all figures painted alla prima, from life. These are some of mine....