Photo: Nicole Friedler
Leslie Baker lives with her husband, daughter, three dogs, and cat. When not working in her studio, she enjoys taking walks with her family, horseback riding, and working in the garden of her house on Martha's Vineyard.
I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1949. My mother was a nurse who used her talents rescuing orphaned animals. As a result, I grew up surrounded by cats, dogs, tailless squirrels, and even a mallard duck named Dolly, who lived with us for twelve years. My father was a businessman with a huge laugh and an even bigger sense of humor, which was helpful in dealing with this constant parade of animals. Next to these pets, my best playmate was my big brother, Ken. We spent a lot of time together building forts, swimming in the ocean, and playing with other kids on the block. But what I liked best was sitting on the floor on Saturday mornings, painting with my watercolors or drawing on the shirt cardboards my father saved for us. Drawing was my passion, second only to reading and horses. My family moved around a great deal when I was young, but we always considered home our big old house in Maryland where my grandmother lived.
With the exception of a brief period in the seventh grade when I considered becoming a veterinarian, I always wanted to be an artist. So after high school, I went on to study fine arts and art history. Although I dabbled in commercial art after graduation, my passion was always painting. I later went back to school to get a master's in education, and certification to teach. I taught art and painted and exhibited my work. During this time I received several visual art grants, which allowed me to travel and paint. I later taught fine arts at various colleges around Philadelphia.
It was shortly before I gave birth to my daughter that I turned my attention to children's books. For my first effort, I wrote and illustrated a simple tale starring my cat, Nellie, a feisty calico who was always escaping from the third-story studio. By the time The Third Story Cat was published, I was already illustrating a book for another author. I felt as if I had found a medium of expression that perfectly merged my love of art and literature with the added benefit of being able to work at home and be with my child.
Many books and years later, I continue working in a field I find challenging. I enjoy being part of a process that allows me to develop an idea into a finished book. Even when working on another author's story, I try to find the connection the words make in me to use as a focal point in my paintings. Stories also often require extensive research, and I enjoy spending hours in the library poring over books to get accurate information for my illustrations.
Perhaps the best part of being an author and illustrator of children's books is sharing my stories and artwork with the countless children I speak to at schools everywhere. They, in turn, have shared their stories and art with me through letters and school writing programs. My work has led to many new friendships. I continue to paint and exhibit, but my art reaches a wider audience through my books.