Meet Leslie
The Artist Behind It All!
Leslie Charleville is a Louisiana artist who specializes in the 17th century Japanese art form of gyotaku, or fish rubbing. Originally, gyotaku was a means to document the size and species of a fisherman's catch. Leslie has mastered this sophisticated technique on not only fish and marine life but also Louisiana's most popular mascot, the alligator.
From Leslie: "The art is secondary to the message I want to leave with people who I meet. More than anything, I want folks to look at what I do and recognize that’s there a Light on L.Chareville Studios that transcends this world.....after all, it’s not my talent to begin with. I just want to use it for good and make a difference in the lives of the people I encounter!"
what is gyotaku?
Beginning in the 17th century, Japanese fishermen used a printmaking process called "gyotaku" to document their catches, recording the animal’s size and individual characteristics with sumi ink on rice paper.
how does leslie use gyotaku?
Like her Japanese predecessors, Leslie definitely prints a lot of fish. However, she is probably best-known for her alligators. She prints freshly-harvested gators that are twice, three times, even four times her height and weight, never flinching and always ready to adapt to the challenges that inevitably occur when printing a thirteen-foot dinosaur creature.
Leslie’s work is physical. Printing gators and 600-pound tuna is just as labor-intensive as it sounds. More physical than even that, though, is the printing process. When Leslie creates her prints, she takes great care to appreciate and document every little quality that made the animal unique, a creature that lived and breathed. Her prints contain the animal’s DNA, permanently pressed onto the surface and giving the creature new life. Leslie expertly captures the animal’s individual features, imperfections and all, beautifully honoring the animal forever.
Meet Cindy
Leslie and Cindy have been friends for over 15 years. During Leslie's early years as a working artist, Cindy was on the sidelines, cheering her on every step of the way. She was one of Leslie's biggest encouragers and supporters, always ready with words of motivation.
From the start, Leslie dreamed of having Cindy in The Studio. Leslie may be the creative mind behind the art, but she knew she needed Cindy’s administrative strength to thrive. When life circumstances changed and Cindy relocated back to Louisiana, she took a deep dive into the business side of Art—and that’s when The Studio started to grow exponentially. Today, Cindy is the administrative mastermind who keeps everything running smoothly, allowing Leslie’s creativity to flourish! She’s the steady hand that ensures the business of art moves forward with purpose and intention.
Cindy is also a proud mom of two children and "CeCe" to four sweet grandchildren. She said it best own words: “After walking through hard life situations, as we all do, I try to practice intentional thinking and gratitude daily. It has completely changed my perspective and my life!”
All photos courtesy of J. Michael Photography Co.
& LJ Studio LLC