Leslee Melamed’s Art

Artist Leslee Melamed, who was the 76th dinner stranger along with her husband actor Fred Melamed, has launched a website featuring some of her work. Here’s how she describes it: “On canvas, she is associated with the bold use of texture and judicious color. Early influences were Mark Rothko and Franz Klein. As a young painter, Leslee studied with Eileen Raucher-Sutton. In 1990, she graduated from The School of Visual Arts, New York City, where she was greatly influenced by iconic graphic artist, Milton Glaser. After graduating, she pursued a career in graphic arts, eventually becoming responsible for all printed material for the North American retailer, Lord & Taylor.”

When I met Leslee and Fred for dinner at The Palm in Beverly Hills in May 2015, they told me about their previous life in New York, including living in the city and then raising their sons in the quieter beach town of Montauk. Then Fred’s ever-growing acting career led the family to move to Los Angeles, and Leslee says her art pays tribute to the experiences of all three places. “Her work often reflects impressions of life in these three milieus — the tight packed geometrics of the city, the wild freshness and natural beauty of the East End, the hyper-saturation and Fauvist brilliance of life in Los Angeles, where the Melameds still reside,” says her website.