Oakville Artist Dances with A Paint Brush

When you first meet Leslea Mehltretter, you are greeted with a big smile and soulful brown eyes. This local artist who was born and raised right here in Oakville, knew that her love for art would always be a part of her life right from childhood. Trained as a graphic designer, Leslea is a self-taught, award winning portrait artist who is now extending her passion into impressionism, abstract landscapes and stills. When asked what/who inspires her artwork, she said it is the expression of human actions, especially in the portraits that fascinates her. It is a moment in time and I'm allowed to capture that emotion.

She is mesmerized by the uniqueness of people and their character or feeling that she wants to put on canvas. Artists like Degas, Claude Simard, John Singer Sargent, and Manel Anoro are key artists who have influenced Leslea's style and approach to her work. For her, when she is painting, there is a sense of intuitiveness and fluidity versus an intensive focus...it is more like a dance.

As a Royal Ontario Conservatory certified teacher, she has taught art but she is focusing her time of giving back to the greater community. In the past 12 years, she has always donated art pieces to the Dundas Valley School of Art for their fundraising event. In 2016, Leslea held an Art Fundraiser at her home hosting over 100 people, selling 36 pieces of her art in a silent auction, and raising $36K for the Convenant House. From crayons and pencils she bought at the corner art store in Oakville (where Anthropologie is located now) to intriguing portraits to bold landscapes, Leslea is taking her love of art and using it to help the community and the greater good.

Contact: smeltretter@cogeco.ca