Leslie Shellow was born in Washington DC in 1969 and currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland. She holds an MFA in Painting from Towson University, a BFA from The Maryland Institute College of Art and a BA in Education from the Evergreen State College. Her work consists of oil painting on panel, ink drawing on panel, ink wash on paper, printmaking, bookmaking and installation. Pulling her imagery from observations of nature, both in the visible world and through microscopes, Leslie addresses natural processes such as growth, decay and regeneration. Mold, lichen, corral, cells, viruses and bacteria are among the many natural elements that influence her work. In 2010 Leslie received the Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award for Works on Paper, and in 2011 she exhibited her latest installation, Cause and Effect, at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Art in Wilmington, DE. Leslie teaches Drawing at the Maryland Institute College of Art and University of Maryland Baltimore County.