Sneak Peak “Heaven, Earth & the In-Betweens”

Posted by Melissa on 03/29/2011 @ 3:17 pm in MLoveStudio TV | 0 comments

Steadily in the works, here is a sneak peak in the mean time!  Lemme know what you think!

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Watch the sneak peak video – Click Here: MLoveStudio TV

Threat to Formalized Religion Photo Re-cap!

Posted by Melissa on 04/27/2012 @ 12:50 pm in Event Photos, News | 0 comments

We had a blast this past weekend…thank you all for coming out to support the event, my art and MLoveizm magazine!

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A Student’s Interview

Posted by Melissa on 04/27/2012 @ 12:29 pm in News | 0 comments

“My name is Ginger Goldbaum, I am a student at CSULA and am currently taking an art class. One of our projects is to find a Los Angeles professional artist and to conduct an interview with them.  I did some research and am loving your work! I am sure you are busy, but am hoping you could find some time to set aside for a quick interview.”

Ginger Goldbaum’s Artist Interview with Melissa Leslie

Ginger

After only reading about Melissa online, and talking to her for a short 30 minutes,
her story touched me in a way that I wish I could paint. I suppose stories could be told in
multiple forms though; from painting to photography, and even dancing. She is an
inspirational woman that tells her story in multiple ways: painting, photography, graphic
design, and more.
Q: How long have you been working as a professional artist?
A: I guess since 2005-ish, when I dropped out of school (laughs).
Q: When did you get your start?
A: I did a few shows up in San Francisco and then I moved down to San Diego and
then to Orange County and I ended up in LA.
Q: So how do you get involved in shows? Do you submit your work or do you have to know
people?
A: I think a lot of it is political, who you know […] contacting galleries with a PDF and
bio of your work, start hammering away at emails – you can send out 1,000 emails and
only get back 2 that are interested. If you know somebody, you are in the door more
easily.
Q: Where did you get your training? Did you go to an art school?
A: I have always been into art since I was a little girl. I took out a loan to attend The
Academy of Arts in San Francisco so I could get out of Indiana, but I personally don’t think
that art school teaches artists much of anything […] I think I learned a lot more once I was
out of school and put myself into the industry.
Q: I read somewhere: “Melissa is a photographer, fashion designer; model, sculptor, poet
and a visual artist just to name a few” how did you get into all of these and do you have a
favorite?
A: Painting doesn’t pay all of the bills, obviously, with the economy right now, so, I
also do graphic design for the action sports industry. My husband also owns a company
that does design work. Mostly I do hand drawn stuff for companies like Billabong, Nike, DC
Shoes, and Metal Militia. I also do photography, and have an artist online magazine titled MLoveizm.com that currently is going into print for our first issue that houses all kinds of
artists. This is our way of giving back to the community. We know how hard it is to be an
artist starting out with nobody knowing you. I think if I were to pick one, my most personal
work is my paintings because it is something that I can control completely.
Q: Who or what inspired you to get started?
A: I have always been painting and drawing since I was little […] my first real
inspiration comes from my mother coming from Philippines and then living in a small town
in Indiana with all of the racism […] being an artist in this small town […] art was
therapeutic to me.
Q: What inspires you today?
A: Using all of the experiences I have gone through in my life, using female subject matter,
I feel as if I am able to uplift women by showing that we can be strong through our
brokenness.
Q: Can you tell me a little about your work?
A: Women are a part of a lot of my work, and my life’s story. The newest series is
kind of like brushing out everything from my past and how it has made me grow as a
human and my spirit and my career.
Q: Do you have a favorite piece that you have created?
A: They’re all my babies! Every time I finish a piece it is my favorite, but I don’t really have
just one […] if I had to pick one, I would say a piece titled Self Reception – I think because it
kind of wraps up me in a nutshell, if you will.
Q: What themes is your work exploring?
A: Women and personal experiences; being broken, being put through pain, bad
relationships, alcohol abuse and drug use, I was trying to find out who I was. Being in
Indiana, a female, encountering racism, and being an artist in such a small community; I try
to take all of that and create art. I try to bring hope and light onto all of those situations.
Q: Where do you see your art going?
A: Right now I am working on a book; it is collaboration with 5 other artists. It is a really big
project at the moment because it focuses on the book of Mathew in bible where Jesus goes thru his walk here on Earth. It’s kind of a modern day insight of how the artists
interpret it. We hope to be able to paint this picture; it is a little more personal, modern,
and something people can relate to.
Q: Tell me what it is like being an artist in L.A.
A: I think, comparing LA to international and San Francisco experiences, it is really
DIFFERENT! In other places, people may look for 20-30 minutes at your art, and be
interested in your work enough to be able to have a dialogue among one another; they
will tell you about themselves and how your art work has made them feel. In LA when you
have a show, it’s like your art is the back drop of all the coolest parties. If someone is
releasing album, they put the art work in the back, a club or birthday party, put the
artwork in the back, a barbeque, put artwork in the back. It’s all about who is who, and not
too much response from people about what it means.
I Love the people; I understand people in LA have been led into a mindset of
superficial-ness and trying to look a certain way trying to be cool. But I can understand
that, it’s HOLLYWOOD! You kind of have to understand that, but it’s good though! It’s a
love hate relationship with the art scene out here. But LA is a great place to meet new
people that you would never be able to meet in Kansas or something.
Q: How is the political and economic climate?
A: LA is definitely a place where money can be made. It is the perfect place to blow up
with your art work if that is what you are trying to do. But it can be discouraging for people
who maybe just thought that if would be a fun thing to do and that aren’t taking it
seriously; they get upset if they are not making it. Your heart has to be in the right place
and you have to be really passionate about what you do and you have to believe there is
something important with your work.
Also, a lot of us are not business minded, which is another down fall. In order to be
successful you need to be at least 90% business minded and 10% creative; unless you have
financial backing.
Without marketing no one is going to know who you are
Q: What do you think the future holds, for you, and for the city’s art scene?A: If I had it my way I’d probably live in France or Italy [laughs] but LA is definitely the
place where I know I’m supposed to be – specifically because of MLoveizm, [which is
Melissa’s online magazine] and being able to help others. I want to be able to pull up other
people up with me and help other artists to be successful as well. The LA art scene is a love
hate relationship because I know it is where I need to be but I hate the political side, the
facades and fakeness that LA is known for.

Tysha Williams

Posted by Melissa on 04/13/2012 @ 1:02 am in Photography Series | 0 comments

Tysha Williams maybe new to the Los Angeles but she’s no newbie when it comes to modeling and acting!

Check out this beauty below!

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PS-Photogs-She is such a pleasure to work with and so is her make-up artist, Janelle Black!