Peppermint Creek Collective: Lester Arts

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Lester Arts

Leslie Donofrio, Artist

PCC: Tell us a little about yourself
LD: I'm born and raised in New York. I graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with an Illustration degree. After graduation I lived and worked in Manhattan for 10 years and then moved to Cancun, Mexico. Lived in Mexico for 5 years before returning to NY.
Besides drawing and painting, I am a graphic design artist, using Photoshop, which I love.
I'm currently living in Westchester and have dedicated the last year to my art.

PCC: What do you create?
LD: Art, drawings and paintings. I have taken some of these drawings and made t-shirts, pillows, coasters and mugs. The t-shirts and pillow fabric have been professionally printed. Pillows are sewn together by my sister (Thanks Lin). All the coasters and mugs are made by hand by me.

PCC: What made you want to become an artist/fall in love with your craft?
LD: In my last year in high school I decided I wanted to be an interior designer and wanted to go to the Fashion Institute of Technology. Since I needed a portfolio, I took my first art class. I was accepted to FIT but didn't like the technical drawing of interior design , but loving to draw, I turned to Illustration and have been drawing ever since.

PCC: Tell us about your process. What materials do you use?
LD: Believe it or not, I don't really have a process. I use a 9 x 12 sketch pad and 3 pencils, HB, 2B and 3B. My paintings are on watercolor paper using gouache paints and the smallest brushes possible, 0, 00 and 000.

PCC: Tell us what you’re passionate about outside of your art.

LD: I love Football (Go Steelers!), reading, traveling (mostly to Europe). I love Italy and dream about living there one day. And cats.

PCC:. Anything else we should know?
LD: Anyone living in the New York area can also find my items at the Brooklyn Collective (Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn) thru December.

PCC: How do we find you?
LD:
Etsy Shop - www.etsy.com/shop/Lesterarts