Interview With Portrait Artist Leslie Tribolet

About Leslie

Leslie Tribolet lives on Kauai with her husband and her animals. She studied at Santa Barbara Art Institute back in the 70’s, but with pencil as her medium of choice. During her battle with both cervical and breast cancer, she decided to try to learn how to paint for something to do. She dabbled in watercolors and loved them, but seemed that everyone on Kauai was painting with watercolors, and that she found to be boring…..

She was introduced to the Genesis Heat Set Paints in 2007, and loved it because of the ease of finishing her work quickly, without having to wait for the paint to dry and it was “different”. These paints are dried with heat, (heat gun or an oven) which speeds up the process and it is great, especially with living in the humid air of Hawaii. She has always been drawn to ethnic faces, so she decided to try her hand at painting them with these paints, and it worked. She hopes that you enjoy looking at them as much as she enjoys painting them.

Visit Leslie’s Website Today…

Q: What medium or mediums do you work with?

A: I really only used the new Genesis Paints when I paint now. I will dabble with the watercolors when I get bored with same’ol, same’ol. But really like having the ability to paint really fast and Genesis Heat Set Paints allow me to do that.

Q: How long have you been an artist? How did you get started?

A: I have been involved with art in some form since I was a kid. I attended the Santa Barbara Art Institute when I was 19 for a year and loved it. I drew with pencil in figure and head drawing classes mostly, but did take a couple of sculpture classes where I really had a blast. Someday I hope to get back into sculpting.

Q: Do you have any formal training or are you self taught?

A: The only formal training I have had other than the drawing classes at the Institute, is a couple of classes from some local artists here on Kauai. I really am pretty much self taught, learning through trial and error….

Q: Do you have any favorite art supplies that you would like to recommend?

A: I would recommend to anyone wanting to learn how to paint, to invest in about 6 basic colors of the Genesis Paints. From that you will be able to pretty much make up any color… I would be happy to assist with the information to anyone who wants to know how to start with the Genesis Paints.

Q: Do you work with any specific styles or subject matter?

A: I seem to be drawn (no pun intended) to painting people… maybe it was all those drawing classes of people at the Institute. I just find them to be challenging and fun. I will get bored now and then though, and switch over to plants or whatever I want to explore… no good with animals. Too much hair for me and I admire those who can do it! My style is realism. I like to make my paintings look as close as I can to a picture. A lot of people don’t appreciate that technique, but I do. When I go into a gallery, I immediately go over to the realism paintings.

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