Take Your ART to the Next Level with Me

I'm Leslie Montana, Lifetime Artist, Teacher, and Reiki Master. I am a liaison to the creative nature that lives inside all of us, and I help people just like you reconnect and claim more creative potential through the process of making art. My approach is unique in that meditation, and states of consciousness are at the foundation of my work, and this is something I share in my learning programs.

Creativity is inborn. Everyone has it, but few people ever take ownership of it. And most of us don't even know what that means. Ownership? Of creativity? How do you own your creativity? And why is it even necessary?

When our freedom to create is encroached upon, we know it. It hurts. And the pain is registered in our bodies, especially when we're small. Early school days are often at fault, yet the damage is never intentional.

Our creative nature is in full swing when we're tiny. There's nothing stopping us. If we make a mark on paper, we may be applauded for just being able to hold a crayon. Delight surges through us. We're happy.

The impulse to create, when unobstructed, is pure. It's as natural as breathing. And we all knows what happens to that. It becomes shallow as we become disconnected from our bodies. Our creative nature is similar, and it must be nurtured and protected to become a fully integrated part of our adult selves. It is vital for our life source connection. Thankfully, in more conscious circles of education this trend is now on.

Creativity is not just about arts and crafts, it's about life. Hands-on making things is a great way to learn about what feels good when we're in charge. Material stuff meets with our ideas. We feel and experience ownership of our creations without an agenda. It's fun.

As we experience the quickening energies of our time and the challenges that come with it, we're faced with options to grow or stagnate. Making art can be a tremendous ally as we find new ways to ground our reality in positive ways. Its benefits can come right through the doorway of our creativity. Coupled with meditation, we expand into more of who and what we truly are, and the complex gears of life mesh and move more easily.

To marginalize creativity is to disrespect a primal force in us that keeps us healthy and alive. 

 
A little backstory (how I got here)

I didn't set out to teach. Originally, I avoided it because I didn't like how I was taught in school, especially at higher levels of art education. Eager to learn everything I could, I was surprised when I encountered resistance, and even sabotage. But since I was self-motivated, optimistic, and hopeful, I progressed on track toward higher learning. Gaining acceptance to several excellent schools, I left high school a year early to attend college where I earned a BFA. The name of that institution is not unimportant here.


Fast forward to college graduation. It was like making it to the end of a grueling finish line only to find I'd embarked on the wrong trajectory. It was over, thank goodness, yet I was in deep despair. What happened? What had I invested so much of my time and energy in? I could barely find the original shiny creative being I'd previously been. My confidence was gone, and I felt utterly lost.

I wasn't aware of it then, but I'd begun to form the basis for my mature work in those difficult days. The paintings you see on this website are part of that. The model for the way I work with people also began its formation at that time. Though understandably, I had no desire to enter the professional world of teaching as I knew it.

From my perspective, I had one choice only. I had to dig out on my own, un-learn everything I'd been taught, and start over. The hardest part of that journey took about twenty years, leading to the body of work I call Exquisite Paintings on the Nature of Flowers, which is now in phase two.

Things have changed, and nowadays there is a distinct call for the kind of work I do. Those who participate in my programs get fast-tracked out of potential stuck-ness and into more aligned, natural and efficient ways of creating. Some say it's healing, and if that happens, it's through your own creative work. The inner genius in you wants to come out and play. Tools of the trade and learning to handle them well is part of the curriculum. This is the overall basis for my artists masterclass series.

 ••• Artist Masterclass, Watercolor Painting and Technique, Cultivating Sustainable Practices •••

From concept to sketch, drawing, under-drawing, and the proper use and understanding of materials, a lot of consideration goes into this process. To achieve physical mastery, acquiring technical skills is a must. Good guidance, re-attuning the mind, and letting go of outdated concepts also helps us to excel with greater efficacy and confidence. Sustainable practices that last a lifetime are the foundation, as you learn techniques, and some of my best kept secrets. Learn more...

 

Who I work with (does this sound like you?)

You love art. I hear you saying, Yes! You've always gravitated toward it, and continued with it as you could, but you had to put it aside in favor of other things. Until, maybe, now. Your plan was to take care of everyone, and everything else first, and then at a certain point, you'd get back to it. You would finally pursue your love for art when... Ok. When?

Well, you're here now. You're excited about the possibilities, and no one and nothing is going to stop you, except maybe those voices in your head. They're still chattering away but you know it's time to move beyond them. You're so much stronger now. Life experience has proved it's value, and yes, it has its place.

The colors make you happy to look at! But you can't share that with just anyone. Nope. Only an artist would understand. Paint tubes and pans, maybe some pastels, pencils, your brushes, papers, canvas, etc... This is your treasured collection of art supplies, your materials. There's something sacred about it all, and you treat it with a love, reverence, and respect.

Seeing the work of artists you admire is exciting. It lights you up. And no matter how much you struggle, you still come back to making stuff, painting, drawing and what you love to do. It's a sacred place for you. It nourishes you like nothing else does. But something is still missing...


There's a gap somewhere. You realize you need to learn more, brush up on your skills. And now that so much time has passed, your reservoir of momentum has diminished. You're wondering how to rebuild your passion, catch up, and position yourself to get your needs met in a realistic way. It seems overwhelming, and a bit of a mystery.

Consider joining my next Masterclass.



 

When I first discovered Leslie’s work online, it took my breath away - she captures the very soul and life essence of every flower she paints. I knew immediately that I needed to connect with Leslie and study with her! I wanted to watch her paint and learn her technique, so I too could capture flowers so beautifully – what were her special techniques, paints, brushes, materials, etc. that made her so successful?

I signed up for one-on-one mentoring with Leslie, excited and open to whatever she had in mind. Little did I know the amazing, transformative journey Leslie would lead me on! She guided me to see that capturing the life-force of a flower is not a technique, it is a way of seeing, a way of being with the flower and connecting with its life-force. It is a conversation and a watercolor dance across the page. I learned how to breathe and calm my mind and connect with what I am seeing. I discovered, through our time together, how to allow myself to paint as a connection with nature, rather than as a ‘producer’ of excellent art. And in this letting go, I started to see layers and layers of detail and value and color that I had never seen before. And yes, I learned some great new techniques as well.

Now, as I sit down with a painting, I take a moment to breathe, and I hear Leslie’s words and feel her energy calming me, and it brings me right back to our sessions together, no matter what I choose to paint. I can never go back, now that I have had this time with Leslie. It is truly a gift to my body and spirit, and I cannot wait to see where it takes me!

With the deepest of appreciation,
Debbie, Santa Rosa, CA
 

When you work with me

Central to our work together is painting, technique, and the choosing and handling of materials. I'll be sharing technical knowledge with you, and demonstrating many of the things I've learned over a lifetime. The material for my masterclass is structured, yet fluid, and geared to individual students and groups. It's slow, process-oriented type of learning that gets absorbed, a bit like an apprenticeship.
 

Then there's the mediation piece. And it's with us the whole time because it's a state of mind and being that invites more of us to be present as we create. Keys to the zone, so to speak. Sustainable practices naturally arise in coherent states like this. Imagine letting go of the need to get it right, performance anxiety, and those critical voices in your head. All possible, and a welcome relief when it happens.


When you work with me, you'll sense my dedication to your success. I'll be directing you toward ownership of your own creative power. You don't have to paint like me. You will, however, very likely paint more like you, as your creative genius comes more distinctly into the foreground. I'll be helping you remove and replace misguided beliefs around your work, art, and where you want to go with it. In the process, as you apply what you learn, you'll gain greater clarity, and as you work, your skills will improve.
 

Red Rose in Repose, shown in progress. Watercolor by Leslie Montana.

 

As a liaison to humanity's creative nature, I help people like you reconnect and claim more potential through the process of making art. 

Our action-oriented, mentally dominant culture is changing. As our attention turns toward what makes us feel whole and human, a shift occurs, making it impossible to go backward. Who we thought we were is no longer.

As humanity wakes up to its true creative nature, the balance slowly shifts toward alignment with Mother Nature. And though creativity is not just for the artistically inclined, you're here. The ARTS have called you. A catalyst for self-evolution, discovery, and your heart's delight, consider that making art is a life practice. When you show up for it, life will show up for you.

Dear Leslie, Thank you for being the catalyst for a profound shift in my perception. For the longest time,  I’ve felt extremely hesitant to take any kind of art class, even backing out of a painting class in college at the last minute. Now, in my early thirties, I realize that a childhood diagnosis of “spatial learning disability” fostered a belief inside me that "I couldn't do art." Boy, was I wrong.

After just one month of working with you, I have some amazing paintings that I’m proud to show off. I can't wait to see what I'm able to create as I continue learning with you! I never thought that I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about making art! And, as I’ve been tapping into my creativity from a deep part of my soul, I’ve had some incredibly moving experiences. I now have a nighttime routine of drawing just before I fall asleep. Since I've begun doing that, I've slept better than I have in years.

Thank you for showing me a new and positively productive way that truly matches my personal and unique style. When we first spoke, you encouraged me when you said: "What you perceive as a limitation is actually a gift.” Over these past weeks, you’ve helped me understand that reality as I step more firmly each day onto the path of my greater creative potential.

Sincerely, Deborah, Northern Colorado

Consider joining me.

Browse a list of my learning programs here.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you!

—Leslie Montana

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Exquisite Paintings on the Nature of Flowers is a body of work based on a sophisticated visual analysis of Nature's frequencies = LOVE. My long-standing body of work, ongoing and now in phase two, began in the early 1990s and is the culmination of a lifetime quest—a sacred journey into the heart of Nature, Beauty, and healing the myth of separation.