Leslie Shaw Zadoian was born and grew up in Revere, Massachusetts. She was educated at Queens College, City University of New York (B.A., cum laude, 1968; M.A., 1971) and at The Art Students League of New York where she studied with Bruce Dorfman. After college, she worked as a writer/editor and graphic designer in book publishing (The Viking Press, Penguin Books, CBS International Publishing) and higher education (Queens College Continuing Education Program). She left her job at Queens College in 2005, and by the following year, was making fine art full time. Her work is in private collections in the U.S. and Europe and has been exhibited throughout New York and elsewhere in the United States. Today Zadoian lives and works in New York City and Liberty, NY.