Clare Walker Leslie Naturalist / Artist / Author / Educator

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Welcome

I grew up outdoors playing in the woods and fields near Philadelphia. I went on to get a B.A., in Art History, from Carleton College (l968.) Since then, I have evolved a career in combining the study of Nature and Drawing / Writing / Painting / Teaching as a means of connecting both myself and my students with Where We Live, Season by Season and Year upon Year.

Self taught as a Naturalist, I have used my own on-going Nature Journals, since l978, (and now numbering 50) as a method for continuing my study of nature outdoors, no matter where I am -- city, country, my home, far away. Our environment is changing and journals are becoming critical for their baseline observations of seasonal sequences.

I did not grow up intending to be a Naturalist or an Artist. I was a Musician. I did not intend to be a writer and, when asked by a publisher, said "No" back in l978. Twelve books later, I am still writing to engage others in my deep love and respect for the natural world that is around  all of us. I have found myself in over 28 states, teaching, exhibiting, speaking in varieties of places (see Teaching Section). I am fortunate to have studied in Europe with some of the top wildlife artists there -- John Busby, Eric Ennion, Gunnar Brusewitz, Lars Jonsson. And in this country, I owe my study of Nature to a number of Mass Audubon's top staff naturalists. But, my greatest teacher, critic, comfort continues to be the Nature beside me.

I live in Cambridge, MA and Granville,VT with my husband, our children/grandchildren and various pets. My working studio is a table top. My larger studio is a day pack and outside the door. For further information, see other sections listed here.

Clare Walker Leslie has taught at Williams College, Harvard's Landscape Design Program, College of the Atlantic, Antioch New England, and many Audubon Centers and is a member of the National Guild of Scientific Illustrators and the international Artists For Nature Foundation. She teaches Nature Drawing, Field Nature Study, and the Nature Journal helping all ages to better connect with their own Local Places. Her latest book, The Curious Nature Guide: Explore the Natural Wonders All Around You is intended for anyone who wants to learn more about the Nature of where they live. Clare's books are being used internationally with several now in foreign translations.(As we can know, the love of and curiosity for nature is an international language.)

The process of seeing is what counts, not “how good is my drawing?” -- Clare Walker Leslie

"To be in love with the world is particularly lucky, as it's everywhere: city, country, and suburb. And luckiest of all is that it's never too late to fall into this particular thrall. All you need to do is begin to look around."-- Bill McKibben

  

"Still painting, birding, teaching, exploring!"  

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