Bio
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Lesley's work has a contemporary style that is figurative and post-cubist with a wave to abstraction. Influences include the work of Edward Hopper & David Hockney. Her brightly coloured ARCHITECTURAL LANDSCAPES are EDGY & formalised as she tries to express the strange beauty of the world around us.
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Bartley Drey Gallery, Chelsea, London 1998
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Maryland Studio
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ABOUT ME: I was born in Bristol, UK & moved to London when I was six. My experience as an artist started in early adolescence when I became a pseudo hippy. I was influenced by psychedelic bands like Pink Floyd as well as the French existentialist writers and anything Avant-Garde in the London art galleries. I joined an evening nude life-drawing class when I was 16 & spent most of my time drawing. I applied to Goldsmiths' College of Art, London, where I had an amazing four years, with other young artists, learning to paint as well as meeting established artists. Then, I won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, where I met international artists like Motherwell & Matta! My tutor was the great British artist Ken Kiff. After graduating from a 3 year MFA Painting course I lived & worked in London exhibiting extensively. I was represented by Enid Lawson Gallery.
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In 1996 Lesley was selected for a rare ART residency in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China, for three months to teach watercolour painting at Xinjiang Art College. She was sent on a special trip with her students to Chinghe, Altai Mountains, an area closed to tourists at that time. It was an AMAZING experience. In 2003, her American husband’s work moved them to Ormond Beach, Florida, quite a SHOCK! It wasn’t city life, but she did experience the beauty of the tropics. In 2012 they re-located to the Eastern Shore, Maryland, in spitting distance of DC, and Baltimore. where Lesley works in her studio by the Choptank River.
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“Lesley’s work is Avant Garde for a subject that is rarely seen as Avant Garde.
Her work is idiosyncratic in the best way” Richard Dana. Curator Washington D.C. 2020 |
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SHORT BIOGRAPHY
2014 -25 Publicity - Main St Gallery, Artist Coop, Cambridge, MD 2012-14 Coordinating Artist - Artist Loft Studios, Cambridge, MD 2012 Moved to Maryland 2009 Tournament Artist - LSO Golf Florida 2008 Coordinating Artist - White Studios, Daytona Beach, FL 2005 Visiting Artist - Ormond Beach Art Museum, Ormond, FL 2003 Moved to Florida 1999-03 Production & Reviews - Galleries Magazine, London 1999 Tournament Artist - Ladies European Golf Tour, London 1998-99 Artist-in-Residence - Kensington & Chelsea College London 1996 Visiting Artist - Xinjiang Arts Institute, Urumqi, China 1995-6 Film Festival Coordinator - Royal College of Art, London EDUCATION 1977-80 Royal College of Art London (MFA) 1972-76 Goldsmiths College of Art London (BFA) 1966-72 Wallington Grammar School for Girls, Surrey, England |
PUBLIC & CELEBRITY COLLECTIONS
Casa Del Mar Resort, Ormond Beach, Florida Cambridge Medical Center, Maryland Hoopers Island Oyster Co. Cambridge, Maryland Blackwater Bakery, Cambridge. Maryland Xinjiang Art College Urumqi, China Gunnersbury Park Museum, London Camden Council, London Landmark Business Centre at the Royal Mint, London Silver Vaults, London Royal College of Art, London Laura Davies (CBE), professional golfer, UK Tim Heidecker, entertainer, Los Angeles Bo Van Pelt, professional golfer, Oklahoma Prestwick Golf Club, Ormond Beach, Florida ICI Homes, Daytona Beach, Florida Apremont Golf Club, Paris Brocket Hall Golf Club, UK |
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Lesley's paintings can be found in private and museum collections all over the world. Her work has been published by Harper Collins "Watercolour Masterclass" and "The Challenge of Landscape". Also, articles in several magazines like Fine Art Connoisseur magazine, New York and Artist & illustrator magazine, London.
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PUBLICATIONS
2023 The STAR Easton MD Front Cover "Friday ART" December 8th issue 2019 SHORE Monthly Jeannette Spohn "The Art of Lesley Giles" April issue 2016 Fine ART Connoisseur magazine Joseph Ruzicka "Around the Water's Edge" May/June issue 2015 Love Sayings Bradford G. Wheler (pub: Book Collaborative) 2013 Golf Sayings Bradford G. Wheler (pub: Book Collaborative) 2011 Isramworld Annual Orient Travel Brochure Front Cover New York 2009 The Village Green Daytona Beach Florida Front Cover June 2002 Artist & Illustrators Magazine London "Travelling for Inspiration" 1993 Watercolour Masterclass Lawrence Wood (pub: Harper-Collins) Guardian Magazine London "Art for Sale" British Contemporary Art Vanessa Finn Exhibition catalogue. (pub: Gagliardi Ltd) 1990 The Subjective City London Oliver Bevan Exhibition catalogue 1990 The Challenge of Landscape Ian Simpson (pub:Harper-Collins) |
REVIEWS
2013 Attraction Magazine Easton Maryland. "Artist Loft Studios" Dorchester Star Cambridge Maryland. "Artist Loft Studios" - May issue 2010 Daytona Beach News-Journal Florida. "Women Dream Up Art" Rick de Yampart - Nov Orlando Magazine Florida. "Paint the Town" - March issue 2009 Atlantic Center for the Arts New Smyrna Beach, FL "Bold Minimalist Landscapes" Sarah Higgins, Curator 2008 The Compass St Augustine Florida. "Lesley Giles at Butterfield Garage Art Gallery" Carol Elliott - Sep issue Daytona Beach News-Journal Florida "Realtors Draw on Artists" Audrey Parente 2006 StandardartNews Bulgaria "Lesley Giles - Contemporary Artist" Todor Tragmar 2005 Atlantic Center for the Arts New Smyrna Beach, FL "Florida Icons:US1" Jeanne Dowis, Curator 1992 Ealing & Acton Gazette London "Art Means Business" Wendy Richmond 1991 Sunday Times London "Confusing Signs of Our Times" Andrew Lambirth 1981 Kensington News & Post London "Local Artists Go Underground. Lesley Giles" Jan |
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Watercolour Masterclass by Laurence Wood pub: Harper Collins 1993
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Fine ART Connoisseur magazine TODAY'S MASTERS by Joseph Ruzicka 2016
SHORE MONTHLY magazine The Art of Lesley Giles by Jeannette Spohn 2019
PS. We LOST all our worldly goods during our Trans Atlantic move! That included all my paintings (that were unsold) as well as portfolios of hundreds of works on paper. It felt like a bereavement; I had to literally rebuild my career as an artist. I felt like I was in the desert for many years with no mature body of work to exhibit. My gallery in London closed when the owner retired so I had to literally start from scratch, including having to buy all new paints and brushes.
A decade later, we heard from an art dealer in Miami that our "stuff" had somehow re-emerged after being "LOST" via New York! Following a series of nasty meetings, a dozen boxes of our personal belongings were returned to us along with my paintings & portfolios, many of which had been damaged in Miami during Hurricane Wilma.
A decade later, we heard from an art dealer in Miami that our "stuff" had somehow re-emerged after being "LOST" via New York! Following a series of nasty meetings, a dozen boxes of our personal belongings were returned to us along with my paintings & portfolios, many of which had been damaged in Miami during Hurricane Wilma.