Take Your ART to the Next Level

I'm Leslie Montana, artist, thinker and liaison to the creative nature that lives inside all of us. I help people just like you reconnect and claim more creative potential through the process of making art. Meditation and states of consciousness are at the foundation of my learning programs. With my guidance you'll achieve greater alignment with your Creative Nature, and deepen your connection with all of life. Learn more below and contact me for current program availability.



I didn't set out to teach. It happened as I answered the call of those inspired to work with me. Watching transformation happen as students reclaim the creativity is wonderfully rewarding. Living from our creative nature is a joy, and it's not just for artists. But if you're artistically inclined you've landed in the right place.

Note: This article is kept current and was originally published in 2023.

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?

Invisible wounds. When our freedom to create is encroached upon, we know it, even if only unconsciously. 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 almost always unintentional. Regardless of what caused the wound, it then becomes our responsibility to deal with it. Reinvigorating the creative process, learning and expanding skills can work wonders toward healing in this area.

Full-on creativity. Our creative nature is in full swing when we're tiny. There's nothing stopping us. We are discovering our world. 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. And therein lies the first real clue.

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. But it must be nurtured and protected so it becomes a fully integrated part of our adult selves. Creativity is vital for our life source connection.

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. The material world  meets with our ideas, and in the process the ephemeral comes into form. We experience ownership of our creations. It's exhilarating and downright fun.

These unusual times. As we experience quickening energies and the challenges associated, we're faced with, or you might say forced, to either grow or stagnate. Making art can be a tremendous help as we find ways to ground our dreams. The life we truly desire has a way of erupting from within when we feel overly controlled or confined.

Making art as conscious discipline helps us expand into more of who and what we truly are. As we practice, it energizes the gears of life so they mesh and move more seamlessly. Challenges come but they are somehow more deal-with-able.

To marginalize creativity is to disrespect our primal life force; that which keeps us healthy and alive. 

 
A little backstory (how I got here)

I didn't set out to teach. I avoided it. My experience in school, especially at higher levels of art education, did not suit my nature. Eager to learn everything I could, I encountered resistance and even sabotage. But I've always been self-motivated, optimistic and hopeful. I tracked onward toward higher learning because that is what society asked of me. Gaining acceptance to several excellent schools, I left high school a year early to attend college where I earned a BFA. I wanted to excel.

Higher learning doesn't always deliver. 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, and 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.

Proceeding without certainty. I wasn't aware of it then, but I'd begun to form the basis of my mature work. The model for the way I work with people also began to form at that time. I had no desire to enter the professional world of teaching as I knew it. But somehow I wound up teaching anyway. I was on my own as I began to reclaim my life.

My personal journey. I realized I had one choice and it was to dig deep, un-learn, and start over. The hardest part of that journey followed graduation as I slowly moved past painful disappointment. I could not comply to the dictates of the art world, academia and the agendas I became aware of. I pressed on, then in my early 20s. Decades later, the body of work I now call Exquisite Paintings on the Nature of Flowers emerged. My persistence brought rewards and success on many levels.

The Reality of Now.

Things have changed, and nowadays there is a distinct call for the kind of work I do. It's a mass movement that you and I are a part of.

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.

Artist Masterclass, Watercolor Painting & 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! that's me! You've always gravitated toward making art and squeezed in time for it whenever possible. But you had to put your art aside in favor of other things. Your plan was to take care of everyone and everything else first, and then you'd get back to it. You's pursue your Love for Art after fulfilling your commitments. Though perhaps not perfect, that time has finally come.

You're excited about possibilities! No one and nothing can stop you, except maybe those voices in your head. They're still chattering away but you know it's time to move beyond that. Life experience has proven valuable and now you have the go-ahead to pursue what is yours, and yours alone. It's your love of art and creating.

The colors make you happy to look at! But you can't share that with just anyone. Only an artist would understand. Your paint tubes, pans, pastels, pencils, brushes, paper, canvas, and various supplies are a treasured collection of pure potential. There's something sacred about your paintbox and you treat it with reverence.

Seeing the work of artists you admire is exciting. It lights you up. No matter how much you struggle, you still come back to making, painting, drawing and the creative work you love. It's a sacred space that deeply nourishes you.

But something is still missing...


There's a gap somewhere. You realize the need to brush up certain skills, and maybe even acquire new ones. The momentum you once had isn't the same. You've changed, but your desire is stronger than ever. 

How to realistically revive your passion and move forward?

Where to start?

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 is a slow, process-oriented style of interaction that makes for easy integration.
 

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 shows 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

It's up to you.

Whatever you decide to do, keep in mind it's not just about art, it's about you. Creating a sustainable creative practice that will carry you forward in these challenging times is where much of the value lies. You can browse my learning programs here. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

If cost is holding you back get in touch with me. I can't make any promises but I offer scholarships occasionally.

Invest in yourself.

Make the commitment to dive deep and discover more of your creative nature, which is your unique super power.

Above all, enjoy being creative.

—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. - Leslie