"Inspiration generally comes when I am in a meditative state. Sometimes, it happens when I am sleeping and having a dream."

Artist Leslie Ann Butler creates abstract compositions that seek peace by reflecting the contrast between joy and suffering. She has loved art since she was old enough to hold a pencil and pursued her passion ever since. Originally known for her stylized figurative works, Leslie Ann later embraced abstraction. Often, the compositions will come to her during meditation, and she does her best to reproduce the vision in the studio. When not making art, Leslie Ann volunteers with the Oregon Humane Society and other local charities, goes to the gym, and attends concerts with her husband.

In this interview, Leslie Ann shares an in-depth look at her evolution as an artist and the joys of her home life.

What’s your home life like?

My husband, Ron, and I live in Portland Heights, in Portland, Oregon, overlooking the city and two mountains – sometimes we can see three! The view is always changing, and it's so beautiful. We get especially wonderful sunsets. My studio, located on the top floor of our home, has the best view and the best light for painting.

Our dog, Dennis, and our cat, Rodney, tolerate each other. They love to watch me paint! On my to-do list is a portrait of them together.

Ron and I enjoy having friends over. Of course, all of them have at least one of my paintings. They always visit my studio to see what I'm working on.

Music plays throughout the house most of the time. Generally jazz – like Bill Charlap, Joe Sample, Cyrus Chestnut, and Vince Garaldi; and sometimes soundtracks from my favorite musicals – Oliver!, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Camelot, and South Pacific, to name a few. We have a baby grand piano, which everyone is welcome to play, day or night!

What are you most proud of—whether in art or another part of your life?

I have been able to take my innate sensitivity and use it to create art that touches others. It's very rewarding when people tell me how much they love a painting I have done, especially when they send me photos of it in their home.

Do you have any studio rituals that help you get into a creative flow?

No rituals. I have a pattern or rhythm, though: sometimes a very rough sketch, sometimes not, just covering the canvas with any color that strikes me. Then I paint over that until the form – whatever that is – appears. Sometimes, I have to stop and put the canvas away for a while. When I pull it out again, somehow, almost magically, it becomes wonderful.

Where do you find inspiration for your art?

Inspiration generally comes when I am in a meditative state. Sometimes, it happens when I am sleeping and having a dream. Whenever I paint abstracts, I am in a delightful, altered, and flowing state of consciousness.

Tell us about your evolution as an artist.

I started drawing when I was a little girl. In high school, I mostly worked with oils. Portraits, landscapes, still lifes—even cartoons—I loved them all. At that time, I did a portrait of Robert Frost, my favorite poet, and sent it to him. I was thrilled to receive a personal thank-you letter, which my mother had framed. It marked the beginning of my passion for painting portraits, which have received much notoriety. Since then, I have been commissioned by former First Lady Barbara Bush, Michael Jackson, and Rue McClanahan of The Golden Girls, among others.

In 2002, Forbes Magazine selected me as one of the top pet portrait artists in the country. Using a skill I’ve had since I was a child, I am able to “tune in” on people and animals, even from photos. It’s very personal, and some people have been stunned by what I know about them or their pets and my art that completely captures the essence of the subject.

After concentrating successfully on portraits and other figurative work, such as Pensées du Noir (Night Thoughts or Paris Nights), for several years, I longed to expand into the mysteries of the abstract. I took a few classes and talked to friends who were successful abstract painters. But, after all this research, I realized that abstract could not be taught.

I was working on my Paris Nights series and had a show of about 20 paintings. To challenge myself, I decided to change the show to all abstracts in one month. I went into my studio every morning without knowing what I was doing but forced myself to work for hours. Finally, it started to flow. I had to stop thinking about what to do; there was no room for left brain function at all. No structure, no limits, and nothing has to look like anything. It was an amazing experience. In 17 days, I had 20 paintings and was ready for the show.

Successfully working on my first abstract series, I had a deeply spiritual experience during meditation. Images of paintings—completely different from any work I had done before—flashed across my mind one by one like a slide show. I began working on them the next day and decided to call the series Meditations. To create them, I had to get down to work on the floor, but after several months, I broke my toe. Not able to get down on or up from the floor, I had to put Meditations on hold.

When I finally healed, I couldn’t wait to get back to painting. But, disappointingly, the crystal-clear pictures had disappeared from my mind. I went on to other series: Soul Struck, Inner Mosaic, and Light and Silence.

My most recent series is Illumination, which incorporates gold, silver, and copper leaf with color and form. It is a meditation on presence and absence, light and shadow, simplicity and depth.

How do you decide when an artwork is finished?

Most of the time, it is a feeling of completion and satisfaction. But sometimes, I don't know. I may think it's done, but it doesn't feel quite right. That's when I put it away and pull it out to work on it later. When I love it, then I know it's finished.

What is the most interesting observation someone has made about your work?

It is very interesting and gratifying to hear people share the feelings they get from viewing my work. More than one client has been brought to tears. Others have felt a magical and mystic power from a piece.

What’s your favorite museum?

It's hard to choose one favorite, but I guess it would be the D'Orsay in Paris. It has the largest and most exceptional collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world. Painters include Monet, Manet, Sisley, and Morisot, among others.

Is there anything else you’d like to share to help viewers better understand your work?

The creative process does not end with the physicality of the painting but is continued and enhanced through the eyes of each beholder into the creation of thoughts and emotions it brings out in them; this magic dance of connection is proof that we are not separate.