Art & Life with Leslie Winans

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Winans.

Leslie, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My love for creating art, and making spaces beautiful is personal. My dad a carpenter, my mom an artist, I grew up watching my parents work together and make a life that was inspiring. My mother was and still is my biggest supporter. I remember her always wanting my opinion. She would let me rearrange the house and then keep the furniture that way, which made me feel so important as a child. That’s all I ever wanted to do, make things beautiful, move items around until my eye was satisfied. When other little girls were playing with dolls, I was collecting wood scraps from the floor of my dad’s garage and building furniture.

When I was young, my father worked a job he hated, would come home exhausted and do it all over again the next day. I have a memory firmly fixed in my mind of my father telling my mother he was going to start his own business and make custom cabinetry, instead of his day job. I remember how much his stress level was lifted and how much more he felt himself. That’s quite a life lesson for a teenager. My parents were always supportive in whatever I choose to do in life, even when I told them I was majoring in Art. I’m sure they were secretly wondering how I was going to pay back those student loans though. I wanted to be inspired every day and to live a life I loved. So, after graduating from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, with a degree in Visual Communication, I decided to continue my schooling with a Bachelors in Art Education and a Masters in Secondary Education. I taught for a couple years as an art teacher and on the side helped my friends and family decorate their homes. Now, with children of my own, I’m constantly thinking about how I’m inspiring them to be passionate and to create a life they love every day.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My business, Grace and Jane Design, was created from just being asked over and over again to help people with decorating. I needed an outlet to share my ideas and easy home fix solutions with people, so I started Graceandjane.com. I love helping people realize they don’t need to go out and buy all new things to make your home you! I love making what my clients already own work, just with a little refresh or reorganizing. I also like teaching people the art of collecting what you love overtime, to create a home that’s personal, and tells a story of your family. There is nothing authentic about a model home. It’s designed to relate to the masses, and how boring is that? When decorating a home or a particular room, I tell clients to keep what you love, edit what you don’t and fill in the spaces with practical, functional, yet beautiful collections. Design should have a purpose. Think about your life and what you need day to day, and design around that. It’s a process for sure, but an enjoyable one, and trust me, you’ll love your home so much more when you’re surrounded by things that reflect who you are.

In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
For myself, as a mother of two young girls, I struggle with what’s more important. Being there for my children for every little thing that they are involved with or being dedicated to my business. It’s a constant struggle and balance. I know I’m not the only woman/mother/artist who is trying to juggle the needs of their family with the needs of keeping a business afloat. People talk about sacrifice and taking a risk when it comes to work, but when that involves my kids, it’s hard for me to put them second. Thankfully, I have an amazing supporter. My husband not only pushes me to go beyond my comfort zone, he’s a true partner in the whole parenting gig, which is helpful when we are both trying to balance life and work. As an artist, you long to be constantly inspired. As a mother, you are constantly trying to inspire your children. So, in design, I just have fun with it and involve my kids as much as possible, because if you’re not having fun, or putting love into what you design, you’re doing it wrong.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Today, my design work can be seen through graceandjane.com. There you can see most of my client’s photos, and projects from my home as well. I would call my design style “Parisian Eclectic.” I like to mix rustic elements, with antiques and lots of texture. I’m a sucker for an old oil painting, vintage books and architectural pieces used in odd ways. European flair has always been something that inspires me, but I also love when a home feels eclectic. I want spaces I design to feel lived in and warm. Everything doesn’t have to match. Mixing pattern and the texture feels unexpected and fresh. With lots of details of what you love, what you do and who you are. If you’re interested in seeing my work, follow my Instagram graceandjanedesign. I’m always posting what I’m currently working on and it’s a good way to see how to tackle a project from start to finish. I also work at a DIY store called Studio223 in downtown Gilbert, AZ. I help with store design, window displays and being a visual story-teller for customers. From funky chandeliers to functional store fixtures, it’s been a fun couple of years working for the store owner, who is now a very close friend. Let’s just say if you walk down Gilbert Road and see a raspberry colored bike in a window, that was me! Who knows what will be next!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.graceandjane.com
• Instagram: @graceandjanedesign

Image Credit:
Leslie Winans

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