Wild Cherry Art Studio in South Orange, New Jersey.
My Story
When my husband died suddenly in 2012 I was devastated. As I walked towards my husband’s grave the words, “This is the worst moment of your life,” appeared like a ticker tape in front of me. I held each of my young children’s little hands in mine but I didn’t think I would survive the ordeal. I stopped and closed my eyes and prayed, Please God, help me get through this. When I opened my eyes, I saw a ten-point buck, standing majestically, only 50 feet away. We locked eyes for a moment and then he bounded off into the trees. In that instant, it felt like a miraculous gift. I thought, My God, that’s so beautiful, thank you. Seeing something so beautiful and wondrous lifted me out of that moment of despair. It was a pivotal moment that allowed me to shift into a state of appreciation. It helped me to move through my pain. Beauty and art is a powerful force that heals, unites, and enriches our lives.
Three years later, after a long time of struggling with grief and depression, my spiritual journey of healing began. I started a meditation practice when I visited Kripalu for an R&R retreat where I meditated every day. And I haven’t stopped since. I joined a spiritual book group. I became interested in reading anything I could find on spirituality. I attended workshops led by well-known spiritual teachers including: Abraham Hicks, Gabrielle Bernstein, Deepak Chopra, Oprah Winfrey, Donna Eden, Brian L. Weiss, M.D., Wim Hof, May MacCarthy, Rob Bell, Matt Kahn and more.
I realized that our energy grows where our focus goes and our state of being has a huge impact on the quality of life we are experiencing. When I started painting again, I discovered that I could use all of my new practices, to raise my vibration during my creative process, in service to others.
“The more you see beauty, the more beauty you see.”
—Leslie Goldman
How I got here
As a fine artist and owner of Wild Cherry Art, I’m on a mission to cultivate joy through art, music, and by living in the spirit of appreciation.
I started creating when I was a child. At 7 years, I was painting in oils and playing the piano. While other kids were partying in high school, I was home creating art and making music. Also sneaking into the Fastlane, in Asbury Park, on Friday nights to see live bands. I wanted to be a painter and a rockstar when I grew up.
Graduating with a BFA from Parsons School of Design set me on an exciting course. I painted dozens of murals for Betsey Johnson, worked for multiple prestigious design firms, and held art director positions at major publishing houses. I’ve won several awards for excellence in graphic design and illustration, working for top shelf clientele.
With my husband’s untimely death, I abruptly became a single parent of two young children. I re-evaluated my life and embarked on a journey of healing. My commitment to following my dreams became even more strengthened. I had seen how fleeting life can be firsthand. It was time to get back to painting and fulfill that dream. I realized that I had been given a gift that I must share. Now I use decades of painting, drawing, graphic design, and spiritual practices to inform my artistic process to delight and inspire you with exciting, vibrant works of art. My goal is to elevate the world’s vibration through a joyful, divinely inspired visual journey, one painting at a time.
Following my dreams has allowed me to maintain a sense of playful revelry in my approach to life. When you follow your heart, life is filled with meaning. I hope my story and artwork inspire you to freely express your creative nature, your inner radiance, and explore your dreams and desires. It's never too late to start following your heart. Life is a bowl of cherries, enjoy all the good and spit out the rest!
Love you lots,
Leslie
xo
CURRICULUM VITAE
S O L O E X H I B I T I O N S
2019
Mardi Gras pARTy Solo Show and Performance • Wild Cherry Studio, South Orange, NJ
2018
South Orange Skate House • South Orange Duck Pond Skate House, South Orange, NJ
Private Collector's Holiday Party • Wild Cherry Art Studio, South Orange, NJ
G R O U P E X H I B I T I O N S
2019
Start of the Art • Studio Montclair, Montclair, NJ
Take Off the Mask pARTy • Wild Cherry Studio, South Orange, NJ
SOMA Studio Tour • Wild Cherry Studio, South Orange, NJ
2018
Open Studio 11.11 • Wild Cherry Art Studio, South Orange, NJ
Art Lotto Montclair: Portraits of Artists by Artists • Studio Montclair,
Montclair, NJ
Pleasure and Terror in Plein Air • Pierro Gallery, South Orange, NJ
SOMA Studio Tour • Wild Cherry Studio, South Orange, NJ
Appreciation Party • Wild Cherry Studio, South Orange, NJ
State of the Art 2018 • Studio Montclair, Montclair, NJ
Archipelagos of the Creative Mind • Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
2017
SOMA Studio Tour • Wild Cherry Studio, South Orange, NJ
1996
Fifty Fishes, Farrar Straus & Giroux 50th Anniversary Show
2019 Start of the Art • Studio Montclair, Montclair, NJ
T A L K S & W O R K S H O P S
2018
Artist Talk / Pleasure and Terror in Plien Air • Pierro Gallery, South Orange, NJ
Find Your Flojo Women's Retreat • Spirit Fire Retreat Center, Leyden, MA
E X P E R I E N C E
1999–Present • W I L D C H E R R Y A R T • Creative Director /Painter/Designer/ Illustrator • My paintings are in private collections from Virgina, USA to Valencia Spain and my corporate clients include: The NYC Department of Education; Simon and Schuster; Scribner, Vintage, Princeton University, EMMIS Broadcasting, Culinary Concepts NYC, Hal Leonard Corporation, The World Conservation Union (IUCN); Penn State, Barnes and Nobles, Grove Atlantic; Houghton Mifflin; W.W. Norton; Vintage; Penguin Putnam and Doubleday to name a few.
2015–2017 • W H O L E F O O D S M A R K E T • Store Graphic Artist
1997–1999 • L I T T L E , B R O W N A N D C O M P A N Y • Senior Designer / Illustrator
1994–1997 • F A R R A R , S T R A U S , A N D G I R O U X • Associate Art Director / Illustrator
1992–1994 • J A M E S V I C T O R E D E S I G N W O R K S • Assistant Designer / Illustrator
1992–1994 • S I S C O & E V A N S • Senior Designer
1987–1993 • B E T S E Y J O H N S O N • Mural Artist
Here I am on Saint Marks Place in New York City while I was attending Parsons School of Design
E D U C A T I O N
Parsons School of Design, New York, NY • Bachelor of Fine Arts 1987
School of Visual Arts, New York, NY • Continuing Education 1992, 1995, 1997
Pratt, New York, NY • Continuing Education 1998
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY • Adobe Seminar 1993
A W A R D S
Leslie has been recognized numerous times for her illustration and design excellence, by Print Magazine; AIGA Fifty Books Fifty Covers; New York Book Binders Guild and the Society of Illustrators and Communication Arts Magazine.
M E M B E R S H I P S
Arts Advisory Council Member, South Orange, NJ
SOMA Studio Tour • Committee
Studio Montclair, Montclair, NJ • Member
Maplewood Arts Council • Member
WConnection • Co-leader Millburn Chapter, Widows helping widows to rebuild their lives.