Leslie considers pottery the perfect usable art form. Most of the things we use and see every day are mass-produced. In contrast, each piece of handmade pottery is unique, with its own mix of creativity, craft, variation and imperfection. Unlike most art forms, it can be touched and used, not merely observed. Surface, weight and balance are all integral to the character of each piece. The three-dimentional nature of pottery provides a special canvas for decoration.

Leslie started working in clay in 1990 and became a professional potter in 1995. "My love of clay was inspired in part by the ancient nature of the art. It grew from our ancestors' basic needs and love of beauty, and it still serves our needs today. When you use a pot, you are using a piece of the earth shaped and created by a person's hands and vision."

Most of Leslie's work is functional stoneware thrown on an electric potter's wheel. Some pieces are built from slabs, or a combination of the two techniques. Many of the pots are altered by carving and paddling. After a pot is thrown or constructed, trimmed and dried, Leslie bisque fires it to Cone 04 in an electric kiln. This firing takes about 12 hours. She fires the pot a final time in an electric kiln to 2200 degrees Fahrenheit. The glaze firing takes about 15 hours to get to top temperature, then she fires down to 1100 degrees. The entire process of glaze firing takes about 24 hours, then the kiln cools naturally for about a day.

Leslie is an award-winning potter who has been featured in many juried shows and exhibitions. Her training incudes workshops and private lessons in clay; and she has earned JD, Loyola Univerity of Chicago; and a BA in History from Kent State University.

Leslie works from her home studio in Cincinnati, Ohio.